Chapter 41: Carrot

Chapter 41: Carrot

The tyrant's face turned even redder upon hearing Lu Changping speak.

The quiet of the night was already a time when frivolous thoughts ran wild in the mind, and given that Xie Xuan Yuan had previously enjoyed Consort Lu's gentle ministrations, he was no longer as resistant as before. However, he was too proud to explicitly ask for such services again...

The tyrant's thoughts were not hard to guess. Seeing him remain silent, Lu Changping understood this as consent and gradually closed the distance, soothingly saying:

"Your Majesty now knows that I am also a man. There's no need for embarrassment between two men. Moreover, we are husband and wife, our relationship is not ordinary. Just one thing, with Your Majesty pregnant, it's inevitable that such activities deplete vitality. For the child's sake, we should exercise some restraint in the future..."

As he spoke, the tyrant's eyelashes fluttered, initially trembling with suppressed shame and tears. But as he listened on, he felt increasingly unsettled, as if the words implied he had been the one to initiate their previous encounters!

Eventually, Xie Xuan Yuan could no longer bear it, opening his clear, unfocused phoenix eyes to grit out, "Either do it or get out now!"

Consort Lu was not upset by his outburst but merely chuckled, warming his hands before finding a gap to slide them into the tyrant's blanket.

Despite Consort Lu's thoughtful pre-warming of his hands, the moment they touched skin, Xie Xuan Yuan still shivered slightly from the cold.

The unexpected cool touch momentarily sobered the confused tyrant. Xie Xuan Yuan opened his eyes wide to the emptiness before him, momentarily bewildered, wondering why each encounter with this enemy spy made him compromise more and more until he finally yielded.

Getting too close and touching was something he could never tolerate because he neither wanted his scars to be seen nor to fall back under others' control. Yet now, he was gradually lowering his guard, allowing the enemy spy to act at will between resistance and acceptance...

But soon, Xie Xuan Yuan no longer had the energy for such wild thoughts. As the enemy spy's hands began to wander under the quilt, he was stimulated both mentally and physically.

The tyrant's senses were sharper than an ordinary person's, providing brutally honest feedback, whether it was pain or other sensations. While Xie Xuan Yuan could endure pain with the stoicism of old habits, he was utterly at a loss when suddenly treated gently.

Unwilling to face it yet reluctant to send the person away, he could only whimper softly, curling up to muffle any strange sounds, biting down on his finger with determination.

Yet, despite this, his body couldn't stop trembling, with one hand instinctively clutching the mattress beneath him before carefully cradling the slight bulge of his abdomen, as if realizing something.

Under the skilled and thoughtful care of Consort Lu, the tyrant quickly surrendered, his eyes misting over with moisture under the faint moonlight, revealing a vulnerability and pitifulness.

Just a casual glance from Lu Changping sent his heart pounding, leaving him momentarily at a loss for words.

Looking at the pregnant husband in his arms, who was softly panting with half-closed eyes, and then at the chaotic bedding, he momentarily felt guilty, as if he had wronged Xie Xuan Yuan. But if one were to carefully consider the cause and effect, it was the tyrant who had made the first move...

Perhaps unable to face the tyrant's pitiful state as if he had been toyed with, Consort Lu didn't continue to be intimate with Xie Xuan Yuan. Soon, he was fully dressed and said with downcast eyes, "I will find a cloth to clean Your Majesty up."

Having just recovered from a serious illness and pregnant, Xie Xuan Yuan was exhausted in both body and spirit, lacking the strength to contend with the "male spy" who repeatedly took advantage of him. Hearing this, he looked up and said with a hint of sarcasm, "Are you planning to run away again?"

Lu Changping felt uneasy under his intense scrutiny, fearing that a single wrong word might provoke him further.

"I will come to visit His Majesty often during this period."

Xie Xuan Yuan scoffed lightly, seemingly indifferent: "Your absence is of little consequence, but be aware that you still have vulnerabilities in my grasp. Each day you do not appear, your relatives and friends in Southern Chu face increased danger."

Lady Lu had not expected Xie Xuan Yuan to speak prematurely about finding the jade peace amulet, attempting to use it as leverage. Though this tyrant was known for his bold strategies, his eagerness to keep someone was indeed rare...

Lu Changping bowed slightly, his demeanor as gentle and composed as ever, with no trace of displeasure from the threat in his voice:

"Your Majesty is wise to see that the peace amulet is indeed a cherished item I have worn since childhood. Since fate has brought it to Your Majesty, let it remain with you. May it protect you and your future children."

The tyrant, taken aback by Lu Changping's generosity, suddenly looked nervous and asked, "Do you mean to say you no longer want the amulet?"

Seeing him misunderstand again, Lady Lu quickly assured: "The amulet is a token of commitment, rightfully kept by Your Majesty. But even without such a token, I will still stay by Your Majesty's side."

With that promise, Xie Xuan Yuan's expression softened slightly, though his words remained sharp: "Sweet talker."

Yet, he particularly enjoyed listening to this person's sweet talk...

Lu Changping smiled and shook his head, first fetching a basin of hot water from the outer room, then pulling out a clean silk handkerchief from his sleeve, diligently beginning to tidy up without complaint.

Given his unique status, he had never served others in this manner from childhood. Yet, unable to feign indifference, he now devoted himself wholeheartedly to the tyrant, skillfully completing the tasks at hand.

After cleaning up the disheveled beauty on the bed until he was fresh and clean, it was already the fourth watch of the night. Lu Changping suddenly remembered he had to attend the morning court at the fifth watch, having barely slept all night, and couldn’t help but jokingly blame his situation on the distractions of love.

……

Hurriedly leaving the tyrant's side, Lu Changping transformed from the "gentle and virtuous" favorite of the tyrant back to the diligent ruler of Southern Chu he was by day. After changing out of women's clothes and grooming himself, he even managed to review the matters to be discussed with his ministers at the morning court in advance.

Today brought no boisterous cases requiring his judgment, only a delegation from a foreign tribe bearing gifts for an audience. Given that they had traveled far with presents, it was only right for Southern Chu to extend a warm welcome.

Lu Changping initially thought that tributes would merely consist of fine wines, precious horses, gold, silver, and beauties. Yet, to his surprise, he received several carts full of exotic fruits and vegetables, including soil and seeds, known as "carrots."

These "carrots," with their orange hue, were strikingly vibrant. The court, both civil and military, was first astonished, and after confirming they were non-toxic, debated whether they were suitable for widespread cultivation in Southern Chu for an entire morning.

Although Emperor Lu had seen such fruits and vegetables in the strange world of his dreams, this was technically the first time he encountered them in his own world.

He examined the dish of orange fruits presented at his imperial desk repeatedly, suddenly recalling that consuming this vegetable was highly beneficial for one's eyesight.

Thinking of the partially blind, pitiable little tyrant in his harem, he immediately became intrigued by the potential of "carrots"... Thus, after court that day, Emperor Lu excitedly sought out the tyrant with several dishes of washed and sliced carrots.

Xie Xuan Yuan, having met secretly with his "Imperial Consort Lu" until the early hours, was exhausted and felt increasingly heavy, just having risen and finished his morning ablutions.

Still groggy from sleep, he was pulled to the table by Lu Changping for what was termed a "breakfast together." The poor tyrant, still half-blind, could only vaguely see the table full of exquisite Southern Chu pastries, unnameable to him, and among them, several dishes of oddly bright yellow ingredients.

Before he could inquire what the several dishes of orange substance were, the Emperor of Southern Chu personally picked up a slice and offered it to his lips as if presenting a treasure.

For two monarchs who had faced each other on the battlefield not long ago, this gesture was exceedingly attentive, especially given the striking color and strange taste of the yellow substance.

Unable to help frowning, Xie Xuan Yuan said, "Has Emperor Lu finally lost his patience and decided to poison me?"

Knowing the tyrant still distrusted him, Lu Changping simply and decisively ate a slice of carrot himself to prove his innocence, saying:

"This is called a carrot, a rare fruit and vegetable tribute from the foreign delegation this morning. I've heard it's very beneficial for treating eye diseases, which is why I wanted you to try it."

His actions were so smooth and natural. By the time Xie Xuan Yuan dimly realized that this foreign monarch had indeed eaten the odd fruit himself, his expression turned even stranger and displeased, he remarked:

"Is it customary for people of Southern Chu to gain others' trust through such means?"

Lu Changping was momentarily stunned by the question, but he quickly realized why Xie Xuan Yuan was suddenly irritable... The little tyrant must be sentimental, remembering the "deep affection" of the chicken leg he had been given to nibble on when they first met.

He was about to defend himself when Xie Xuan Yuan preemptively and decisively refused, "Have this strange-smelling thing removed from my table. I don't want to eat it."

His Majesty Consort Lu was relatively fine with the taste of carrots. Hearing this, he picked up another slice, tasted it carefully, and muttered to himself, "It doesn’t taste that special..."

Xie Xuan Yuan couldn't be bothered to argue, his lips pressed tightly together, resolutely refusing to taste the peculiar food.

Just like a child, still so picky with food.

His Majesty Consort Lu sighed helplessly, persistently coaxing, "Try it, just this one piece?"

Unfortunately, without the status of Consort Lu to back him up, his words carried much less weight before the tyrant, and such persuasion was no longer effective.

Perhaps it was the chaos of concern, but in her urgency, Lady Lu resorted to using what Xie Xuan Yuan cared about most as leverage: "If Your Majesty insists on refusing, then the matter you entrusted to me... I'm afraid I'll have to make some deductions."

The effect of her words was immediate. The half-blind youth sitting opposite her suddenly looked up, clearly driven to desperation: "You promised! How can you go back on your word?"

"Fine... I'll eat it."

Xie Xuan Yuan struggled for a long time, but seeing no way out, he finally resigned himself to picking up the bowl and chopsticks before him.

Though he still couldn't see clearly far or near, the bright color of the carrots on the table was unmistakable as poison. The challenge was to swallow this strange food despite its nauseating taste.

But, given his current situation, he had no choice but to bow his head.

Without further hesitation, he firmly grasped the jade chopsticks and stuffed the carrot into his mouth as if undergoing torture. Suddenly, a flood of memories from the past surged into his mind...

When he was demoted to the prison of the Northern Wei Court at a young age, the guards, accustomed to bullying, took advantage of his lack of a mother and the emperor's disdain to bully him at will.

Being forced to eat spoiled and cold leftovers with his head pressed into the bowl was nothing unusual then... Little did those guards dream that he would live to walk out of prison.

The tyrant lowered his head, his facial expression unclear. For a moment, the two sitting across the table from each other fell into a silent confrontation.

Although he had managed to score a rare victory over the tyrant, Lu Changping couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt for taking advantage of him. Threatening the tyrant with the matter of Lady Lu was indeed petty of him.

Watching the tyrant struggling to swallow the carrots, he tried to offer comfort: "If you really can't stand the taste of carrots, there's no need to force yourself. I just... wish to cure your eyes sooner."

Now, hearing these words, Xie Xuan Yuan found them laughable. He was about to mock the emperor's hypocrisy when he suddenly felt a turmoil in his stomach just after putting down his utensils.

Clutching his collar, he tried to suppress the nauseating sensation, but the experience of being force-fed leftovers until he vomited, a memory etched into his body, seemed to have left an indelible mark.

Despite his futile resistance, he couldn't suppress the overwhelming nausea. In the end, Xie Xuan Yuan turned pale and vomited the food he had just forced into his stomach in front of the Southern Chu Emperor...

Author's Note:

Carrot: What did I do wrong this time???

Sorry, dear angels, for making you wait so long. I encountered some issues in the real world recently, which left me disheartened to write or face the comments on Jinjiang, leading to my absence for several months. I know this was irresponsible, and the editor has already spoken to me about it. I'm truly very sorry QAQ.

Updates resume today, and no matter what, this story will be completed. Thank you for your past love and support.