Chapter 36: The Tyrant Flirted With Me! I Got Shocked!

How many emperors in history had such a miserable fate as him?

At his death, not a single familiar soul mourned sincerely. The officials escorting him were all thinking of the new emperor’s enthronement ceremony.

On the road to his tomb, there were no common folk lining the path to grieve. If not for the fear of offending the imperial family and losing their heads, perhaps those people would have treated it like watching a criminal sent to execution—throwing rotten eggs and wilted vegetables at his coffin from their market baskets.

His death was desolate, and even afterward he found no peace.

His tomb was dug up.

Even when he had rotted down to bones, people still desecrated his corpse.

In the end, his remains were crushed to ashes and scattered into a latrine pit, to ensure he would be reviled for eternity.

Even the lone skull that remained was polished into a wine cup, which centuries later ended up in some museum, ogled and mocked by countless visitors…

He could already imagine how those tourists commented while staring at his skull:

“Look, this is the tyrant’s fate!”

“Serves him right, even his skull shouldn’t have been left!”

…

The image of crowds spitting insults over his skull made Feng Changye’s head throb painfully.

He clenched his fists.

In this life, he would never be a tyrant!

Then he remembered Zhu Wuhuan’s words about his mother not attending his funeral.

His gaze turned icy.

He had thought his mother only slightly favored the Prince of Jin—but to this extent?

Her younger son killed her elder son. He didn’t expect her to slay the younger son for vengeance, but at least show grief for a while, right?

How could she joyfully attend the younger son’s enthronement ceremony?

Did she never think her wronged elder son would die restless in his grave?

He sneered. Fine.

This time, he would see how far she would go once the Prince of Jin was confined!

If she accepted the fact and calmed down after a spell, he might still leave some shred of mother-son bond.

But if she dared risk her life for the Prince, then she could not blame him for turning cold and ruthless!

In history, he had been murdered by Feng Changjin, and she had never once raised a fuss for him!

So why should she throw herself into turmoil now when Feng Changjin was merely confined?

Why?

The more she raged, the more he would hate her!

And that hatred—would last until death!

“Your Majesty?”

Zhu Wuhuan sensed Feng Changye’s aura suddenly shift, unstable, and did not understand why his emotions changed so sharply. She softly called to him.

In an instant, Feng Changye pulled back all outward emotion.

He lowered his head and gave a bitter smile.

Facing the mother who birthed and raised him, he still couldn’t remain calm…

Rubbing his brow as if with a headache, he said, “Nothing. I was just thinking how Mother will wave Father’s decree before me endlessly, and it vexes me. Yet she is my mother—I cannot move against her.”

He sighed, looked up at her, and said, “Go back to the General’s Manor first. Spend half an hour more with them, then return to the palace with me.”

Zhu Wuhuan had no wish to linger here either. Hearing this, she brightened instantly.

“Your concubine takes her leave.”

Watching her bow and turn away, Feng Changye thought of how, without her, he might never have confined the Prince of Jin so smoothly today, so he called after her.

“Empress, when I arrived, I saw Madam Zhu Second being taken away by Minister Song. What happened?”

At the mention of Madam Zhu Second, Zhu Wuhuan’s face turned cold.

She said, “Miss Song was likely afraid the Zhu family would implicate her. She took the divorce letter my second brother wrote her and returned to her family.”

Feng Changye frowned. “A woman who can only share good times, not hardship—how is she fit to be the Zhu family’s daughter-in-law? But since she bore your second brother a son, when she later cries and begs forgiveness, your brother will surely soften and take her back…”

He made the decision.

“Your brother is now a sixth-rank Zhaowu Captain. I promote him to a fifth-rank Cavalry General, ordering him to depart tomorrow with Assistant Minister of War Chen Jue to suppress bandits around Jingyan Mountain.”

“The army will take six or seven days to reach Jingyan Mountain, then spend ten to fifteen days clearing the bandits. By the time he returns, I trust you and Madam Dowager Zhu will have dealt with Song Anqiao.”

After speaking, he gestured for her to go. “Go. My edict will reach the Zhu family before nightfall.”

Zhu Wuhuan hadn’t expected such a pleasant surprise from the Emperor!

With her second brother sent away, she and Madam Dowager Zhu could finally settle the matter of Song Anqiao and her brother’s divorce!

If he were present, his ties of marriage and their child—plus the fact Song Anqiao hadn’t yet committed her future abominable deeds—meant he wouldn’t know her true face and would surely forgive her!

Sending him away was best!

She quickly bowed in gratitude. “This concubine thanks Your Majesty on behalf of my second brother for such imperial grace!”

After hesitating, she added, “But, Your Majesty, you previously decreed the Zhu family must remain confined at home, not going out…”

Feng Changye chuckled. “Haven’t I changed edicts before, just for you? I’ll amend it again.”

Zhu Wuhuan looked up at him.

Meeting those smiling eyes, hearing his indulgent words echoing in her ears—suddenly, she felt a spark jolt through her heart!

She instinctively pressed her chest and shouted inwardly to the system: System! Did he just flirt with me? Is he a dual plug? He clearly likes Eunuch Yuan, yet he flirted with me!

The system, at a loss for words, could only mutter: 【Maybe, Host, your charm is so great you bent the cut-sleeve straight?】

Zhu Wuhuan burst into inner laughter. The system was too cute!

Teasing with the system like this, the awkwardness of feeling a spark from a supposed cut-sleeve vanished at once.

She once again bowed to Feng Changye.

“This concubine thanks Your Majesty. The Zhu family will never forget such imperial grace, for generations to come!”

Feng Changye sighed.

“I only hope the Zhu family will not resent me for the rash decision I made earlier. But even if they feel chilled and disappointed, it is what I deserve. The Zhu family is loyal and righteous—it was I who failed them, not trusting steadfastly in the Old General’s integrity and character…”

He waved her off with a smile. “Go on, go.”

Zhu Wuhuan cast him a surprised glance, then withdrew.

This tyrant—the more she knew him, the less he resembled the cruel despot history described.

Feng Changye watched her leave the study, lowering his head in puzzlement.

Dual plug? What’s that?

And flirt? What is this electricity?

Are these things that don’t exist in Great Ning but do a thousand years later?

Strange. He’d only heard of lightning in the sky. What did that have to do with this “flirting electricity” she spoke of?

This woman from a thousand years later always came up with strange words, leaving him baffled.

… The Zhu family.

Because Zhu Wuhuan had met the Prince of Jin in a secluded rear garden, until she returned home the Zhu family knew nothing of what transpired between them.

Nor did they know what had happened at Grand Academician Chen’s estate.

Only when Zhu Wuhuan said the Emperor had promoted Zhu Longyuan to a fifth-rank Cavalry General did they realize the Emperor had gone to Chen’s manor.

Then, because of that edict, the whole family was overjoyed!