Chapter 199: Intimate and Bitter

Chapter 199: Intimate and Bitter

Holang's temperament was always unpredictable, no one could fathom his mood swings. Now, breaking Huang Shian's arm in public, it was unclear whether he was demonstrating defiance or provocation to the emperor. Throughout history, there were only a handful of ministers as audacious as him, and without exception, they were all traitors.

Everyone fell silent like cicadas in winter, waiting for Lu Yan's reaction. Even Huang Shian's wails gradually faded, as he passed out from the pain several times.

Lu Yan acutely sensed that Holang was in a foul mood.

Why was that?

It couldn't be because of Huang Shian, a mere censor-general who didn't even register on Holang's radar. Could it be because of himself?

As Lu Yan pondered this, he slightly leaned forward to look down at the hall below. The beads of the curtain shimmered, reflecting a dazzling light. He was like King Zhou You of Zhou, who would do anything to win the smile of his beauty. Now, to win a smile from the regent, he was disregarding state laws:

"How about we leave this man to the Regent's discretion?"

Stroking the cat the right way was never wrong.

Holang raised an eyebrow indifferently. "Death is also an option?"

A smile deepened in Lu Yan's eyes, his voice gentle, yet chilling some of the court officials:

"He slandered My beloved minister, he deserves death."

This appeased Holang's impending rage somewhat. Hearing this, he casually tossed the limp Huang Shian aside, his attitude nonchalant but somehow terrifying: "Then let's cut out his tongue and drag him around the imperial city thirty times by a fast horse. What does Your Majesty think?"

Cutting out the tongue was one thing, but if someone was dragged on the ground by a fast horse around the imperial city thirty times, their flesh would likely be worn away to the bone, leaving little more than a skeleton.

Lu Yan nodded, uttering only one word: "Approved."

The morning court session ended in a nearly bloodthirsty manner. Everyone was baffled by the emperor's attitude, and their perception of Holang's arrogance was renewed. Now that the Wei family had submitted a petition to return to their fiefdom, the future of the court seemed to belong solely to the regent.

"The Regent was quite impressive today. Who upset you?"

Inside the Shenkang Hall, Lu Yan dismissed everyone else and personally poured a cup of tea for Holang, offering it to him. The steam rose, but it couldn't conceal the amusement in his eyes, softening even the hardest heart.

But Holang remained unmoved. He stared expressionlessly at Lu Yan, his emotions unreadable: "Can't I be angry at that censor-general?"

"Huang Shian?"

Lu Yan smiled, then set the teacup aside. "Wasn't it because of yesterday's assassin?"

His words plunged the air into sudden silence, the atmosphere subtly shifting.

Lu Yan sat down on the couch, lifting the teacup to his nose to inhale the aroma. Holang wasn't particularly perceptive, but he must have investigated the assassin's background last night, recognizing him as Wei Hong.

What would Wei Hong say to Holang?

Most likely nothing good.

When the hares are dead, the hunting dogs are cooked; when the birds are gone, the good bows are stored away.

The Wei family was loyal and devoted, yet the emperor secretly eliminated them. How could Holang expect a better fate? Once he held military power, he wouldn't escape the same result of having his family destroyed by the emperor.

Lu Yan guessed what Wei Hong said to Holang in prison last night with uncanny accuracy, hitting a sore spot in Holang's heart.

Hearing this, Holang walked up to Lu Yan, directly grabbing his chin and forcing him to look up. The roughness of his fingertips against the skin wasn't comfortable. His tone was as damp and uncomfortable as a snake slithering across the back:

"Am I not being disrespectful before the throne today? Am I not keeping thousands of private soldiers, which doesn't worry you that I might rebel? With me, this sword hanging over your head..."

His voice suddenly lowered, whispering close to Lu Yan's ear: "Little Emperor, can you really sleep soundly every night?"

If Holang and Lu Yan switched places, honestly speaking, he couldn't do it.

He would be sleepless, devising ways to eliminate Lu Yan, only then could he rest easy.

So what about Lu Yan? Did he have the same thoughts? Seemingly close and amiable on the surface, but in reality, dreaming of getting rid of him. The Wei family, loyal and patriotic, was still forced to ruin by the other party. What would his own fate be in the future?

Just thinking about it chilled Holang's heart. He wasn't afraid of death, but dying at the hands of the one he loved most was a piercing pain.

He had a sleepless night, his eyes filled with bloodshot veins. Now that they were close, the flickering light made him seem somewhat frightening.

However, Lu Yan merely reached out, pulling Holang into his embrace. His slender fingers caressed the dark circles under the other's eyes, smiling ambiguously: "Is this why you're unhappy?"

He spoke as if it wasn't a big deal.

Holang remained silent, the pressure around him dropping further. He clenched his teeth silently, asking after a moment: "If one day you regain control of the court, what will be my fate?"

Lu Yan carefully traced his features: "You already have high rank and wealth, rare treasures you don't lack. Prince, you've reached the pinnacle of power. Even if I regain control of the court one day, there's nothing left for me to give you."

Holang's gaze was obscure: "Does Your Majesty mean to give nothing?"

Lu Yan countered: "If I say I'll grant you boundless power, wouldn't Prince find it false?"

In fact, Holang was already mired in doubt and unease. No matter how eloquent Lu Yan was, no matter how many beautiful words he used, promising all the benefits in the world, Holang probably wouldn't believe a single word, wouldn't listen to a single word, only feeling that Lu Yan was indeed deceiving him.

Suddenly, Lu Yan took Holang's hand, pressing it tightly against his chest, smiling: "Prince, are you suspecting that I'll discard you once I'm done with you? There's a way now to resolve the current predicament and prove my intentions."

Holang asked instinctively: "What method?"

But Lu Yan's next words startled him:

"It's naturally... rebellion."

Holang's pupils contracted: "What did you say?!"

Lu Yan kissed Holang's hand, his long eyelashes drooping, drawing a seductive arc at the corner of his eye. It was as if he didn't realize the shocking words he was saying, repeating with a smile: "Prince, why not start a rebellion and ascend to the throne? Or I'll willingly abdicate, either way."

Holang indeed opposed, grabbing his collar and lowering his voice angrily: "You're crazy!"

Where in the world was there an emperor as mad as Lu Yan, willing to give up his throne so readily? Did he even know what he was saying?!

Lu Yan gently pulled down his hand. "I'm not mad."

"If one day Your Highness feels that I've changed, that my heart is no longer as it once was, then you should directly raise an army and rebel. This empire would be better off in your hands than in someone else's, and it would bring me joy."

"You have already reached the pinnacle of power, and my throne is secure because of you. Though I don't know who has been whispering in Your Highness's ear, perhaps they had some reason for causing you such alarm. I'm not eloquent, and I truly don't know how to explain this, so..."

"Your Highness might as well take this empire for yourself. It would be better for both of us."

Lu Yan spoke with sincerity, ready to relinquish even the most crucial of realms. No matter how much Huo Lang believed Wei Hong's words, at this moment, his heart softened. He gripped the other's chin, his gaze deep and his voice low and husky:

"How could this king bear to rebel against you or seize your throne?"

He only wanted to protect this person for all eternity, ensuring their stability on the vast empire, inviolable by any.

Lu Yan said nothing but clasped the back of his head, giving him a passionate, lingering kiss. Huo Lang closed his eyes instinctively. At this moment, he reined in his usual sharpness, allowing Lu Yan to kiss and caress him. He was like a sword sheathed, a peony without its thorns, a snake with its venomous fangs removed. His thin lips were tightly pressed together, but ultimately, they couldn't resist the skilled kisses of the other. His teeth parted, and he let out muffled moans, unable to hide the decadent allure on his face.

Power was indeed a wonderful thing.

It allowed you to touch those you wanted to touch but couldn't, to do things you wanted to do but couldn't.

It couldn't be denied that Huo Lang felt a fleeting temptation when he heard Lu Yan's words. Raising an army to rebel was something he could certainly do. The eternal infamy meant nothing to him. Then, he could abolish the harem, and the emperor would belong solely to him.

Alas...it remained a thought, for he couldn't bear to drag the other down.

That beast named desire often stirred restlessly in its cage, but Lu Yan's soothing and seductive presence was like a heavy mountain, suppressing it so that it could never rise again.

Outside the hall, snow filled the room; inside, they indulged in fleeting pleasures.

Lu Yan had undressed Huo Lang countless times, yet each time, he didn't go through with it until the end. They embraced each other on a low couch, wrapped tightly in white fox fur blankets that kept out every trace of cold.

Huo Lang closed his eyes, resting his head on Lu Yan's neck, thinking of the old eunuch outside, gnashing his teeth in frustration: "When can this king kill that old thing?"

Every time they met, they could only stay in the Shenkang Hall, and they had to leave after just a few hours. That old eunuch, Wumei, was truly an eyesore and a nuisance!

Lu Yan said nothing. Now wasn't the time to tear off the mask. His pale fingers pressed against Huo Lang's flushed lips, rolling them back and forth, mimicking a certain gesture vaguely. In a low voice, he asked, "Do you want to be with me so badly?"

Huo Lang bit his hand directly, releasing it only after a moment. His gaze was dark and dangerous, his Adam's apple bobbing: "Doesn't Your Majesty want it?"

As if if Lu Yan said "no," something unpredictable would happen.

Lu Yan smiled. "Have you not heard that absence makes the heart grow fonder, Your Highness?"

Huo Lang frowned, his slender eyebrows creased: "I haven't!"

"Isn't that what I'm telling you now?"

Lu Yan chuckled, smoothing out the furrow between his brows, remembering something belatedly: "You should know about the Wei family returning to their fief. There's something I'd like your help with."

Huo Lang was in a good mood now, appearing quite amenable: "What is it?"

Lu Yan: "Secretly escort them out of the capital and ensure their safety until they pass through the Qilin Pass. Once they're past the Qilin Pass, it will be the Wei family's own territory, and they shouldn't encounter any risks."

Upon hearing this, Huo Lang paused, lifting his eyelids to scrutinize him. "Is this Your Majesty's way of making amends?"

There was a hint of ambiguity in these words.

According to Wei Hong, when he led his troops to escort the supplies, they accidentally encountered a strong enemy ambush on the road. The leader happened to be one of the emperor's confidants, the Cavalry Commander, Geng Guozhong.

Huo Lang didn't approve of the emperor eliminating the Wei family, but since it had come to this, further opposition was futile. He just felt that if one did something, they should see it through to the end—when cutting grass, one must remove the roots. Today, Lu Yan agreed to the Wei family's memorial, letting the tiger return to the mountains, which was already a major concern. Why was he secretly protecting them?

Lu Yan dismissed it lightly. "I just feel that their journey won't be peaceful. With a household full of women and children, it won't be easy for them. If I can help, I will."

Huo Lang sneered and retorted, "Is Your Majesty sure it's not for the sake of Third Prince Wei Tan?"