Chapter 971: Long Qingyue’s Playthings

The emperor had been painting with his concubine in his arms. Their appearance had startled him so much that his hand trembled. He awkwardly stepped forward to salute.

“Greetings, Your Highness the Eldest Princess!”

“You seem to be in quite the artistic mood, painting… little chicks?” Ye Wenxin imitated Long Qingyue’s refined tone, looking at the painting on the table depicting chicks fighting a pig.

The artwork turned out dreadful, probably because the pair were too absorbed in their intimacy moments before. The emperor’s expression shifted slightly, and Ye Wenxin could hear the turmoil in his mind.

‘My sister has become even more beautiful lately. She’s truly worthy of being the number one beauty of our Golden Age Dynasty.’

‘I really want to touch that foot… %￥%…￥%…’

‘Those useless little eunuchs. Someone comes in, and they don’t even announce it. I was all set, and now I’m left in this ridiculous mess!’

The emperor’s internal monologue was rich indeed. Ye Wenxin’s expression turned subtly strained as she listened. She glanced at Long Qingyue beside her. Long Qingyue gave her a gentle smile, long accustomed to the emperor’s obsessive affection toward her.

But Ye Wenxin felt uncomfortable, even a bit guilty. She never understood why Long Qingyue had run away from home the first time they met. It seemed Long Qingyue had been no less helpless than her. Yet, Long Qingyue had never once spoken of it.

Ye Wenxin realized how much she had taken Long Qingyue for granted. She had truly never cared about her life, believing her invincible. But no matter how capable she was, Long Qingyue was still human.

The atmosphere grew heavy with silence. Unable to bear it any longer, the emperor glanced up at the two, and his anger surged upon seeing their clasped hands.

“Eldest Princess, this person is…?” The emperor looked at Long Qingyue, currently in Ye Wenxin’s body, with a hint of coldness in his eyes.

“Oh, just a friend I’ve recently made.” Ye Wenxin, now playing Long Qingyue, imitated her friend’s nonchalant tone as she introduced herself.

“A friend? Could she be the illegitimate daughter? Everyone’s been saying you’ve been entangled with the Demon Lord.” The emperor spoke in an acerbic tone, his anger leaking.

‘My sister belongs to me! Which bastard dared to lay a hand on her?!’

His inner fury became more distinct now. Ye Wenxin wondered if Long Qingyue was deliberately provoking the emperor, knowing he would never kill her. If so, Long Qingyue truly was—

“I am Ye Wenxin of the Azure Wings Sect.” Since Ye Wenxin had no intention of answering, Long Qingyue slowly introduced herself.

The body switch only made this situation a mess. The emperor’s expression grew darker upon hearing this.

Ye Wenxin chose that moment to speak. “My affairs are not Your Majesty’s concern. Speak—why were you looking for me?”

Remembering whose body she was in, she did her best to emulate Long Qingyue’s usual calm and collected demeanor.

Her words made the emperor compose himself. “Would you be willing to let the outsider withdraw, Eldest Princess?”

Ye Wenxin’s identity seemed to displease the emperor. The jealous glint in his eyes indicated that he hadn’t given up on Long Qingyue. He even harbored delusions of overthrowing the dynasty and making her his empress.

Unfortunately, he had no means to do so, as it was Long Qingyue who had built the Golden Age Dynasty. For a moment, Ye Wenxin didn’t know how to evaluate the emperor’s inner monologue. She glanced at the still-composed Long Qingyue and said, “She is one of mine.”

“One of yours—then all of it is true?!”

The emperor nearly lost it. Despite being almost fifty, he looked unhinged—eyes bloodshot, like a child feeling wronged. There was no gap moe, only sickening puerility.

Forget the outstanding Long Qingyue. Even an average woman would find a man who wallowed in self-pity and moaned without cause repulsive.

Ye Wenxin’s impression of the emperor worsened yet again. But this was Long Qingyue’s family matter, so she turned to look at her, waiting to hear what status Long Qingyue intended to assign her.

“Your Majesty, you’re overthinking things. This lowly one harbors unrequited feelings for the Eldest Princess. Her Highness saw that I had some skills and allowed me to stay at her side as a maidservant.”

Long Qingyue did not disappoint. No, she infuriated her. Ye Wenxin clenched her teeth, thinking Long Qingyue was truly shameless for using her body to speak words she’d never utter in her entire life.

Yet that sentence softened the emperor’s expression. He even looked sympathetic, convinced Ye Wenxin was just another unlucky pawn infatuated with his sister. The hostility in his eyes faded significantly.

“So that’s how it is. I got too worked up. The Eldest Princess is our Golden Age Dynasty’s most talented woman. If anyone wants to marry off my royal sister, they’ll have to get past me first!” The more the emperor spoke, the more fervent he became, his siscon on full display.

However, Long Qingyue only saw him as a plaything in her script.

Ye Wenxin remembered it wasn’t long ago that Long Qingyue mentioned wanting to match her brother with his eunuch attendant. She suddenly felt a trace of pity for the emperor.

“Your Majesty, I will take my leave first.” The ignored Consort Fang Cheng finally spoke up, only for the emperor to hold her back.

“Cheng’er, you’re one of my people. Besides, this matter concerns you as well.” The emperor gave her a soft smile, his tone gentle.

Fang Cheng’s face showed confusion, but inwardly, she grew increasingly concerned for her safety.

‘Is His Majesty already tired of me? What should I do? I only just agreed to work with the Eldest Princess.’

‘I don’t mind dying, but what about my siblings?’

Ye Wenxin heard every word of Fang Cheng’s anxious thoughts. As expected of the Fang family—whether it was Sister Hong, Young Master Lü, or Fang Cheng herself—they were all too kindhearted.

Unfortunately, the kinder the person, the more tragic their end tended to be. In this case, it was Ye Wenxin’s closeness to Sister Hong that had Long Qingyue draw the Fang family into her schemes.

“Eldest Princess, I wish to make Consort Cheng my empress.” The emperor finally revealed the reason he had summoned Long Qingyue. He wanted to consult her on this major decision.

Ye Wenxin was dumbfounded. She had only wanted to enjoy a little mind-reading, but now she suddenly felt like the head of a family. She looked toward Long Qingyue, waiting for her response.

Long Qingyue shook her head slightly, and Ye Wenxin immediately gave a firm rejection.

“You barely know Consort Cheng. Why are you in such a rush to make her empress?”

“I’ve thought it through. I will not regret it!” the emperor declared determinedly. However, he was secretly pleased by how much his sister seemed to care.