Chapter 16: Competing for Favor

Chapter 16: Competing for Favor

When Lu Changping fell into the tyrant's arms, his thought was simple and straightforward:

In the presence of the public and members of the royal family, even if Xie Xuan Yuan personally detested physical contact, to avoid revealing his aversion, he had to temporarily conceal his disgust.

After all, rumors were still rampant outside that His Majesty favored Consort Lu uniquely!

His action was meant to make the tyrant endure the bitterness silently, unable to voice his discomfort.

As Lu Changping expected, the tyrant, though stiff all over, did not immediately push him away despite being used as a cushion.

Xie Xuan Yuan shook the deliberately slumped and feigned fragile Lu Meiren in his embrace, showing disgust:

"Don't think that by acting coquettish with me, I'll let you off... Playing dead won't fool me either! Do you have any idea how heavy you actually are?"

Hearing the tyrant's teeth-gritting whisper in his ear, Lu Changping felt immensely pleased.

How heavy could he be? Nothing more than the normal weight of an adult male.

Could it be that the tyrant thought he was light as a feather?

Seeing the woman in the peach-red dress quickening her pace towards them, the show was about to begin. No matter how the tyrant threatened or intimidated him, Lu Changping remained in his embrace, unwilling to get up.

Xie Xuan Yuan was furious, yet his pride prevented him from admitting he couldn't lift Consort Lu, a supposed "delicate woman."

While maintaining this awkwardly intimate pose with Lu Changping in full view of the public, he ordered the palace servants, "What are you standing around for? Consort Lu is feeling unwell, summon the imperial physician at once."

Upon the tyrant's command, the servants hurried towards the direction of the imperial physician's office without delay.

Lu Changping's action was spur of the moment, not expecting the tyrant to make such a fuss for him.

He silently sympathized with the imperial physician, who was doomed to a fruitless trip, and naturally clung onto the tyrant's tall, slender body under the pretense of feeling unwell, like an octopus.

Learning from his failed attempt at serving in bed last time, he was much more cautious this time. Although still embracing the tyrant, his hands no longer dared to mischievously attempt to undress him.

This change indeed proved effective; although Xie Xuan Yuan still looked at him displeased, he did not leave abruptly as he had done the previous times.

It seems, as long as clothes remain untouched, everything is negotiable?

Lu Changping slightly squinted his peach blossom eyes, shimmering with light, stealing glances at Xie Xuan Yuan's face, which could almost be described as "strikingly beautiful," his confusion only deepened.

Logically, if the tyrant truly detested intimacy, he would inherently dislike any close physical contact.

Not to mention something as intrusive as undressing; even a simple embrace like now clearly should not fall within his tolerance.

Yet, strangely, today the tyrant's boundaries seemed to recede further and further, to say he was exceedingly forbearing would not be an exaggeration. This made Lu Changping question whether his previous conjectures were correct.

Is Xie Xuan Yuan truly incapable in that aspect? Or does he simply dislike his body being seen by others?

If it's the latter, could there be some unspeakable secret about his body?

As Lu Changping followed this line of reasoning, the woman in the peach-red dress he had seen earlier had already approached.

Upon seeing the tyrant, she eagerly raised her voice and bowed deeply, saying, "Greetings, Royal Brother. Having parted at the grand hall this morning, I did not expect to chance upon you here in the Imperial Garden. It must be fate that brings your sister here with you."

Likely in an attempt to catch the tyrant's eye upon her palace entrance, she dressed herself like a begonia tree, blooming from top to bottom.

As she bowed, the ornaments on her dress clinked together, emitting a crisp sound.

With curiosity, Lu Changping cast a casual glance in her direction. Yet, with just one look, his eyes were assaulted by the sight.

This noblewoman, referring to the tyrant as "Royal Brother," was not only wearing an eye-catchingly pink dress but even the flowers pinned in her hair were vibrantly stunning.

Judging by her voice, this woman should be about the same age as Zhao Ping, but her face, after an exaggerated application of heavy makeup, no longer showed her original features or skin tone...

Since arriving at the Northern Guard Imperial Palace, Lu Changping had seldom had the chance to go out, seeing no one other than the tyrant or the group of maids and eunuchs assigned to him by the tyrant.

Today, stepping out for the first time, he was truly enlightened upon seeing this noblewoman.

Is this how the Northern Guard's harem truly operates? He felt he understood why the tyrant remained celibate and uninterested in women.

Not to mention his sister Zhao Ping, even dressing up the tyrant in his arms in women's clothing would surely make for a fresher and more appealing sight than this woman in pink!

Despite being forcibly attached to Lu Changping as a personal accessory, Xie Xuan Yuan's presence remained intimidating.

His tone ice-cold, he retorted, "Who allowed you to call me 'Royal Brother'? I do not recall when I acquired another sister."

Dressed up Princess Changle, upon hearing such questioning, saw her forced smile instantly freeze on her face.

As Xie Xuan Yuan is nominally the Empress Dowager's son, and she is the Empress Dowager's niece, aren't they technically cousins? Calling him 'Royal Brother' as a term of endearment should have been perfectly acceptable, right?

But with Xie Xuan Yuan now disowning all kin, Princess Changle had no choice but to restrain herself.

Reluctantly, she corrected herself, "Your Majesty is right to correct me. I acknowledge my mistake."

As she bowed again, she did not forget to scrutinize Lu Meiren in the tyrant's arms from top to bottom with a hostile glance.

Lu Changping inadvertently met the woman's envious and resentful gaze, his lips curving into a knowing smile.

So, she was another "rival in love" aiming to compete for the tyrant's affection—this was going to be even more entertaining.

A woman who could freely enter and leave the Imperial Garden of the harem must have a family with a significant standing in the Northern Guard's court.

If he could make the tyrant completely offend this woman and her maternal family, it would surely add trouble for the tyrant.

With a bit of luck, he might even use the internal conflicts within the Northern Guard's court to further weaken its national strength... The more he thought about it, the better the idea seemed.

Having made up his mind, Lu Changping, in front of this woman, hugged the tyrant even tighter as if declaring his sovereignty, and boldly pressed his cheek against the tyrant's chest.

Fortunately, he was dressed simply and elegantly today, without any excessive jewelry on his head. Compared to Princess Changle, who wore her hair high with numerous jewels, he had a natural advantage in closeness with the tyrant.

Xie Xuan Yuan's chin suddenly brushed against Lu Meiren's hair, smooth and soft like satin, causing his heart to skip a beat unexpectedly.

It had been years since he had been so close to anyone, and he was surprised to find that a beauty's hair felt like this... soft, smooth, and faintly scented with the fresh smell of soapberry.

The tyrant was slightly distracted by Lu Meiren, temporarily forgetting to allow Princess Changle, who was still bowing deeply in greeting, to rise.

Princess Changle thought Xie Xuan Yuan was intentionally making her look foolish in front of others, and remembering his previous cold treatment regarding the matter of the empress, she couldn't help but feel a rush of anger turning her eyes red.

Acting impulsively, she disregarded the Empress Dowager's warning before leaving and directly brought up the most crucial issue:

"Your Majesty, have you forgotten the promise you made when the Empress Dowager helped you ascend the throne? You said, the selection of the empress and the crown prince would entirely be up to the Empress Dowager."

"Even if the previous candidates have met untimely deaths, this time the Empress Dowager has chosen me. I believe, Your Majesty, you will keep your promise, won't you?"

As soon as Princess Changle finished speaking, Lu Changping could feel the tyrant's heartbeat accelerate considerably.

Even without seeing Xie Xuan Yuan's facial expression, he could guess the tyrant was furious enough to kill.

After all, Lu Changping had been the emperor next door in Southern Chu for several years and could guess quite accurately what the Northern Guard's Empress Dowager intended to do with her stepson.

After helping Xie Xuan Yuan ascend the throne, the Empress Dowager of the Northern Guard probably realized he was not easy to manipulate.

That's why she wanted her own confidante to become the empress and bear the crown prince, essentially planning to remove the father and keep the son.

Clearly, the tyrant was no fool. After seeing through the Empress Dowager's intentions, he preemptively killed the three fiancées she had arranged for him, thus earning himself the notorious reputation of being a wife-killer.

Lu Changping, understanding the complexities involved, couldn't help but offer the tyrant a sympathetic look. Being an emperor himself, he realized Xie Xuan Yuan had a much harder time.

But the next moment, Lu Changping wished he could swallow back his just-emerged sympathy.

Xie Xuan Yuan chuckled lightly, calmly fabricating a lie to Princess Changle in her peach-red dress:

"What a coincidence. Consort Lu was just acting coquettish with me, begging to be made empress. I was almost swayed by her charming behavior, ready to agree, but then Princess Changle appeared out of nowhere. There's only one position for the empress, and I'm in quite a dilemma. Why don't you two discuss it amongst yourselves?"

As he spoke, he gently patted Lu Changping's back, perfectly playing the role of a husband consoling his petulant little wife.

Lu Changping was caught off guard by the tyrant pinning this rivalry for favor on him, utterly unable to express his distress.

Accusing him of whimsically asking for the position of empress? The tyrant really dared to make things up!

Sadly, the tyrant dared to fabricate, and the brainless Princess Changle dared to believe. Upon hearing these words, she immediately, without hesitation, turned her hostility towards Lu Changping:

"Consort Lu might not know, but in the North Guard, we are a nation built on martial prowess, even our women can go to battle, unlike the sheltered women of Southern Chu."

"To become the mother of our nation, how can one rely solely on selling one's beauty and whispering sweet nothings in bed? How about we have a real contest of martial skills? If Consort Lu wins, then she can compete with the women of North Guard for the position of empress."

Princess Changle's words sounded noble, but anyone with a bit of insight could see through her selfish motives.

Coming from a military family in North Guard, with both her grandfather and father holding military power, Princess Changle naturally excelled in martial arts from a young age.

She chose to compete in her area of strength rather than comparing with the Princess of Southern Chu in refined arts like music, chess, calligraphy, tea ceremony, and embroidery, clearly intending to bully.

Xie Xuan Yuan was about to stand up for his Consort Lu and expose Princess Changle's vile intentions when Lu Meiren, hanging on his arm, acted first.

Lu Changping let go, stood up straight, and nodded with a smile at the challenging Princess Changle, accepting the contest.

Always ready for a spectacle, today he intended to thoroughly offend Princess Changle and her backing, the Empress Dowager's faction, on behalf of the tyrant.

The author has a word to say:

The tyrant: It was Consort Lu who coquettishly told me she wanted to be the empress!

Consort Lu: You're talking nonsense!

Sorry, my dear readers, this chapter is late. But there should be another update tonight~