Chapter 73 Only as My Subject’s Wife

Chapter 73: Only as My Wife

News of the assassination attempt on the imperial carriage reached Chengtian Gate, leaving the assembled ministers ashen with terror.

Some dropped to the ground in shock. Their faces displayed a mix of anxiety, panic, and guilt, while others struggled to suppress a glimmer of hidden hope—truly a remarkable spectacle.

"How is His Majesty?!" Liu Zhu was the first to regain his composure, his voice trembling slightly.

No one answered him.

Zheng Shize arrived with a large contingent of the Qilin Guard. Without explanation, he took swift action, quickly apprehending all civil and military officials present.

Seeing this, someone exclaimed in alarm, "What is the meaning of this? Are you treating all of us court ministers as accomplices to the assassins?"

"My apologies, everyone," Zheng Shize said coldly. "We are not treating all of you as accomplices. It is simply that everyone present today is under suspicion and must be investigated one by one. If you are cleared of any involvement in the assassination attempt, your innocence will be restored. For now, please endure this inconvenience and cooperate with the Qilin Guard."

One indignant official argued, "We are all imperially appointed officials! How can you detain and rigorously investigate us without evidence? What kind of justice is this?!"

"If you have done nothing wrong, why fear?" Zheng Shize retorted disdainfully. "Are you imperially appointed officials so remarkable? Do you think you are more precious than His Majesty? I am the Assistant Commissioner of the Qilin Guard, personally appointed by His Majesty! I am duty-bound to execute His Majesty's commands. Today, His Majesty was attacked, and yet you hesitate and refuse to cooperate. Either you are guilty or you are plotting rebellion."

"You—!"

"Enough with the 'you, you, you,'" Zheng Shize interrupted impatiently. "Look carefully. You may disregard me, but these Qilin Guard soldiers are all His Majesty’s own kin. If you truly wish to rebel, go ahead and try."

His men stepped forward, brandishing swords and muskets, intimidating the assembled ministers.

Whether they were high-ranking officials from the Six Ministries or meritorious military marquises, these imperial clansmen of the Qilin Guard feared no one.

Those who had been shouting earlier now looked panicked. Their bravado visibly deflated, and though still resentful, they dared not speak out again.

Liu Zhu quickly grasped the meaning behind Zheng Shize’s words and asked anxiously, "You are here on His Majesty’s orders? How is His Majesty now?"

Zheng Shize gave the Chief Grand Secretary some face, with a meaningful look, he said, "His Majesty has been taken captive."

Everyone: "!!!"

Liu Zhu nearly fainted on the spot, but then Zheng Shize added, "The Marquis of Dingbei came to snatch His Majesty away."

Everyone: "…………"

Must you make such a dramatic pause in the middle of a statement?!

Liu Zhu’s choked breath caught in his throat, his aged face flushing crimson before he finally managed to steady himself, murmuring, "...That’s good, that’s good."

Zheng Shize patted his own chest in relief. Good thing he hadn’t scared the Chief Grand Secretary to death. If anything happened to Lord Liu, his imperial cousin would surely have him severely punished.

It wasn’t just Liu Zhu; most of the court ministers were terrified, though their reactions afterward varied greatly. Some, like Liu Zhu, shifted from despair to relief, while others—and there were many—went from hope to panic and dismay.

Zheng Shize’s sharp eyes scanned the crowd, noting the subtle changes in expression among certain individuals. He committed them to memory, thinking, *Just you wait—I’ll interrogate each of you slowly later. None of you will escape.*

In a single day, the joyous celebration of the emperor’s grand wedding had turned into a bloody beginning.

The once bustling streets quickly grew quiet. Ordinary people had already retreated to their homes, doors and windows tightly shut. Only armored soldiers patrolled the streets, enforcing a city-wide lockdown as they hunted down the assassins and rebels.

Meanwhile, inside the Marquis of Dingbei’s residence, an entirely different scene unfolded.

Xie Xiao had abducted the emperor in broad daylight and galloped straight back to his manor. Dismounting, he roughly pulled Yan Weichu down by the waist and carried him inside without a word.

The steward of the marquis’s residence led a group of servants out to greet them. Startled at the sight of Xie Xiao’s sudden return, they exclaimed, "My Lord!"

Then they noticed the emperor, clad in his imperial robe, held in Xie Xiao’s arms, and nearly dropped to their knees in fright.

Without a word of explanation, Xie Xiao carried Yan Weichu inside and ordered, "Close the main gates. Do not allow anyone in. Clear everyone from the main courtyard. No one is to approach."

Yan Weichu looked up, first noticing Xie Xiao’s tense jaw. His face was frosty, a storm brewing beneath the surface, his eyelids lowered as anger simmered in his dark eyes.

Seeing this, Yan Weichu felt a pang of guilt and softly called, "Cousin..."

Xie Xiao ignored him, carrying him straight into the main chamber and kicking the door shut behind them.

Yan Weichu was tossed onto the bed. Xie Xiao leaned over, first removing the crown symbolizing Yan Weichu’s supreme status as emperor and tossing it disrespectfully to the floor.

Yan Weichu: "..."

At the traveling palace, his cousin had been careful and respectful toward him. Now, it was as if he had become a different person—fierce and intimidating.

He lightly kicked Xie Xiao with his foot. "I will charge you with the crime of lèse-majesté..."

Xie Xiao pinned his knees down with his leg, pressing closer and looming over him. Yan Weichu was forced backward, and Xie Xiao pinned his hands above his head, his fingers brushing against the phoenix mask on Yan Weichu’s face.

The last time they married, on their wedding night, he had been angered by this young scoundrel and stormed off without removing the phoenix mask.

Xie Xiao’s fingers paused at the edge of the ornate phoenix feathers, his gaze a turbulent mix of emotions, brewing a silent storm.

His voice was hoarse. "Why did you wear this on your wedding day?"

Yan Weichu asked, "Is it beautiful?"

Of course it was beautiful. No one could wear it better than Yan Weichu.

Reading the answer in Xie Xiao’s eyes, Yan Weichu said softly, "Since it’s beautiful, of course I should wear it."

A darker emotion slowly seeped into Xie Xiao’s gaze. "Why did you go through with the wedding and appoint an empress? Did you break your earlier promise?"

Yan Weichu countered, "Why do you think? If I weren’t getting married and appointing an empress, would you still have refused to return?"

Xie Xiao frowned. "Your Majesty did all this to make me return?"

"Why not?" The thought of how long Xie Xiao had refused to see him made Yan Weichu want to provoke him. "If you won’t return, I will appoint an empress. I’ll find someone else from your ducal household—"

Xie Xiao’s fingers slid down, gripping his chin firmly. His thumb brushed roughly over Yan Weichu’s lips, silencing his reckless words.

The torment of recent times sharpened into a blade, piercing Xie Xiao from within. The dark desires he had struggled to suppress finally broke free.

He withdrew his fingers, leaned down, and bit Yan Weichu’s lips, succumbing to his impulses as he forced Yan Weichu’s mouth open. He captured Yan Weichu’s tongue, tangling, sucking, claiming—asserting his possession.

He untied Yan Weichu’s broad belt, using it to bind both of Yan Weichu’s wrists to the headboard.

Yan Weichu struggled, but Xie Xiao pressed him down and commanded harshly, "Don’t move."

Yan Weichu demanded, "What are you doing? Release me!"

Ignoring his protests, Xie Xiao tore open the intricate imperial robe, pulling off the lower garments along with the inner garments.

Yan Weichu’s hair tie was removed, his dark hair spilling loose. With no means to resist, the revered emperor lay naked amid his own black robes, legs parted in an offering-like position under Xie Xiao’s control.

Crushing humiliation nearly drowned Yan Weichu’s reason. It was only then that he truly realized what kind of fearsome deity he had provoked—his cousin had changed. He was no longer the cousin who would weep, claiming he dared not defile him.

Yan Weichu was even grateful that he still wore the phoenix mask, which could conceal his overly flustered expression.

"It's not even noon yet, I refuse to have sex in broad daylight with you..."

But Xie Xiao now resembled a beast consumed by raging fury, deaf to any word Yan Weichu uttered, consumed only by the urge to plunder and possess.

His remaining shred of rationality merely guided him to pull open the bedside drawer and retrieve the leftover lubricant.

Xie Xiao’s clothes were still perfectly intact, appearing every bit the dignified, respectful, and dutiful Marquis of Dingbei of old, yet what he was doing was a truly treasonous act of defiance against the emperor.

He hooked Yan Weichu’s legs around his waist and pressed forward.

"Your Majesty sees clearly," Xie Xiao’s voice was hoarse and heavy, "I am your husband, fulfilling my duties as such. I ask Your Majesty to acknowledge this."

When he entered him, Yan Weichu’s body tensed and arched sharply, a moan tore from his lips, rising several octaves. He bit his lip hard, scarcely believing it was his own voice.

All his senses felt alien; the only thing he could perceive clearly was the force within him that made his soul shudder.

"Cousin—"

He instinctively called out these two words, his voice slurred and indistinct.

Xie Xiao leaned down, biting his lips, pressing into him with a fierce, almost furious thrust.

Yan Weichu soon couldn’t endure it. His cousin showed him no tenderness or pity. Back at the palace, he had complained that his cousin was too gentle, how no matter how he hinted, his cousin remained the picture of a virtuous gentleman, leaving him hanging in frustration. But now... now Xie Xiao was clearly a beast, only focused on venting his desires upon him.

His grievances turned to anger: "You’re going too far..." His complaints were swallowed entirely by Xie Xiao’s kiss.

Xie Xiao turned his head, biting Yan Weichu’s earlobe, managing to remain calm even in such a moment, and growled hoarsely: "I have acted improperly before the throne, 'offending' Your Majesty. Your Majesty may punish me as you see fit."

Yan Weichu flushed so deeply his face was beet-red: "I will have your entire clan executed!" Even such words, spoken from his lips, were tinged with desire, soft and utterly unconvincing.

Xie Xiao paid no heed, paused for a moment, then turned Yan Weichu over and pressed onto him from behind.

Yan Weichu was forced to support himself on his knees against the bedding, in a near-kneeling position, enduring the relentless pounding from behind.

Since Xie Xiao learned of his identity, they had never used this position again—not because Yan Weichu was unwilling, but because Xie Xiao’s sense of ruler-subject propriety made him reluctant to overstep.

But now, at this moment, Xie Xiao had clearly cast aside his inhibitions, ignited by the fury of being repeatedly deceived by Yan Weichu, only following his instincts to devour the Young Emperor.

Yan Weichu’s black imperial robes were completely torn off and thrown to the ground by Xie Xiao, his naked body pinned in his embrace... It went too deep. The pleasure was intense, but Yan Weichu felt no tenderness, psychologically unprepared: "I don’t want this anymore, get off me—"

Xie Xiao’s kisses trailed down his bare back, lips sliding along his spine, kissing away the hot sweat seeping from the overly intense coupling.

Yan Weichu’s waist instantly went weak; if not for Xie Xiao’s arm hooking around him, he would have collapsed.

"Hmm..."

Yan Weichu finally yielded with a muffled groan, begging for mercy: "Cousin, I don’t want it anymore, please."

His voice trembled as he defended himself: "I never intended to appoint anyone else. I wrote the edict myself. The person I appointed was you..."

Xie Xiao’s breathing was heavy. At the final moment, he stopped, turning Yan Weichu back over.

Yan Weichu fell back onto the bedding, caught off guard. Xie Xiao reached out and finally removed the phoenix mask from his face.

Yan Weichu’s eyelashes fluttered lightly, tears welled in his eyes. Dazedly, he met Xie Xiao’s gaze heavy with desire, then suddenly raised his head and fiercely sank his teeth into his throat.

Xie Xiao allowed Yan Weichu to vent, lifting one of his legs back around his waist, starting another round.

Outside the marquis’s residence, layers of troops surrounded the entire estate.

These were all men from the Capital Guards.

The Imperial Guard was currently busy hunting down the assassins’ accomplices throughout the capital. As the emperor’s close aides, they naturally had the sense not to disrupt the emperor’s affairs. The Capital Garrison Troops would certainly not surround the residence of their superior, Xie Xiao, the Capital Garrison Commander.

The Capital Guard was different. Affiliated with the Five Military Commands, there were still disloyal factions within. Countless eyes had witnessed the emperor being abducted by the Marquis of Dingbei on the street, and they seized the opportunity to surround Xie Xiao’s residence.

These men demanded that the Marquis of Dingbei hand over the emperor, threatening to treat him as an accomplice of the assassins otherwise.

The twenty personal guards Xie Xiao brought back, along with the household guards and staff, blocked the entrance, the gates bolted shut, refusing to let anyone in.

"Many witnessed the Marquis of Dingbei abducting His Majesty and returning to the marquis’s residence. How can you still deny that His Majesty is here?"

The two sides faced off, weapons drawn and tensions high. The marquis’s household held their ground: "The marquis brought back his wife. We know nothing else."

The commander of the Capital Guard rear unit leading the troops nearly gritted his teeth in frustration. Words that should remain unspoken had to be uttered since these household members were uncooperative: "The marquis’s wife is the heir of the Count of Anding, and the heir of the Count of Anding is His Majesty himself. What nonsense are you spouting?"

Mention that the emperor publicly admitted it at the Jiangnan birthday banquet? But what happened at the banquet was only spread in private afterward; no one dared to speak of it openly unless they valued their lives.

Thus, these people from the Marquis of Dingbei’s household could play dumb so blatantly, clearly feigning ignorance!

The commander opposite was provoked: "Stop spouting nonsense here. His Majesty was still wearing the imperial regalia. I refuse to believe you didn’t recognize him. With such evasions and excuses, you are clearly in league with the assassin rebels. The Marquis of Dingbei has abducted His Majesty with malicious intent and treacherous plans. Everyone, follow me in to rescue His Majesty and apprehend everyone in the Marquis of Dingbei’s household!"

This man’s mind worked quickly; this was their only chance to risk everything. Charge in now, eliminate the emperor in the chaos, and frame the Marquis for it—then there would be no further worries.

Inside the residence, Shun Xi heard the commotion outside and immediately ran toward the main courtyard.

He had remained at the marquis’s residence these past two years, overseeing matters large and small, becoming more alert than before.

Now, disregarding Xie Xiao’s earlier order not to approach the main courtyard, he knew he had to inform the emperor immediately or risk major chaos.

Yan Weichu finally had his bound wrists freed. He was now sitting on Xie Xiao, being bounced in his lap.

The door knocked, and Shun Xi’s voice came from outside, quickly reporting the situation outside.

As Xie Xiao continued to thrust into him, Yan Weichu gripped his shoulders tightly, struggling to steady his breath, and ordered in as calm a voice as possible: "Go deliver my oral decree... tell them to scram!"

Shun Xi accepted the order and left.

Yan Weichu glared at Xie Xiao, who still pounded into him like a tireless wolf, and growled hoarsely: "Let me go, something’s happened outside..."

Xie Xiao ignored him, deliberately hitting the spot he couldn’t bear, and said fiercely: "Your Majesty is highly capable, daring to use yourself as bait repeatedly. You must have prepared for such a small matter long ago. Why the hurry?"

Yan Weichu finally realized that Xie Xiao was angry not only about being tricked into returning but also about today’s assassin incident.

He felt even more wronged: "I don’t want to make you empress anymore. You don’t care about me at all; you only know how to bully me—"

At the residence gate, Shun Xi came out to deliver the emperor’s oral decree.

After a few moments of silence, the rear unit commander still refused to retreat, instead accusing: "You eunuch must have been bribed by the Marquis of Dingbei too, falsely delivering His Majesty’s decree. We will not retreat unless we see His Majesty with our own eyes!"

Shun Xi stamped his foot in anger: "I say you are the one with malicious intent!"

The other side showed no fear, or perhaps was prepared to burn his bridges. He drew his sword and led his men in a charge forward.

A large number of Jinyiwei suddenly appeared, with Cui Shao himself leading the group.

He had been busy searching for the assassins but couldn’t afford to ignore the emperor’s side. Although the Marquis of Dingbei was reliable, he had only brought twenty men, and a man blinded by love could sometimes become unreliable even if he was usually dependable. So when his subordinates monitoring this side reported that the Capital Garrison troops were causing trouble, he immediately came over.

Along with him came a large contingent of the Capital Garrison Troops.

The leading general was Xie Xiao’s trusted aide in the Capital Garrison, a tall and burly man who strode forward and struck the rear commander’s shoulder and back with the flat of his blade, slapping him to the ground: “Where the hell did you come from, you piece of shit? How dare you mess with our Marquis’s plans!”

Who didn’t know by now that the Marquis had specifically returned to claim his bride? What business did you scheming assholes have here?

Cui Shao hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself… Too crude. Was it really appropriate to say that in public?

The man swiftly tied up several of the troublemakers and tossed them to Cui Shao’s Jinyiwei for interrogation.

Then, with a wave of his hand, he said: “You go catch the assassins. I’ll bring men to guard the Marquis’s gate. If anyone else dares to cause trouble, I’ll cut down every one of ’em.”

After finally getting the emperor back as his bride, they had to help the Marquis succeed in his endeavor!

Inside the room, Xie Xiao bit Yan Weichu’s sweat-damp chin, suddenly stopping his movements and frowning: “So noisy.”

His hearing was sharp, and his senses were exceptionally keen. Even from such a distance, he could faintly hear the commotion outside the residence.

Yan Weichu, not yet having learned his lesson, kicked him again, still daring to provoke him: “We must deal with the situation outside. Release Us…”

Xie Xiao had already come inside him once, and Yan Weichu had come several times himself—the bed was a mess.

Xie Xiao picked him up and went straight to the adjacent bathhouse.

The walls here were thicker, and it was much quieter.

Xie Xiao finally removed his robes, standing stark naked as he carried Yan Weichu into the bathing pool.

Once again, Xie Xiao pushed his legs apart. Yan Weichu was about to cry: “It’s already the third time. Haven’t you had enough?”

“Not enough,” Xie Xiao whispered, biting his ear and pushing into him, already loose, with the help of the water. “Your Majesty came to me yourself—don’t even think about running away.”

Yan Weichu faintly felt these words were way too familiar. Right, these were the words his cousin had said when he first offered himself all those years ago.

But his cousin was truly unfair. Today, it was clearly his cousin who had abducted him, and the one who had tried to run away repeatedly wasn’t him—it was his cousin.

Xie Xiao looked up through the steamy mist, brushing Yan Weichu’s wet hair behind his ear: “Do you still dare to deceive me?”

Yan Weichu’s eyes reddened with anger: “If I hadn’t deceived you, would you have returned? I deceived you, and you still dragged your feet, only showing up at the last moment. Were you originally unwilling to return? Have you ever considered how much I was hurting?”

Xie Xiao’s eyes, too, seemed reddened by the mist: “And what about you? Using such lies to trick me into returning—did you ever think about how it felt for me to hear you were marrying someone else? It was like having my heart ripped out.”

These words carried too much weight, striking heavily at Yan Weichu’s heart. Knowing he was in the wrong and unable to refute, he lowered his voice guiltily: “Cousin, I was wrong…”

Xie Xiao was still buried inside him. Looking into his watery eyes, most of his desire to punish him faded, but he wasn’t willing to let him off so easily: “Your Majesty should stay right here with me and behave.”

Yan Weichu was taken aback.

“Your Majesty belongs to all under heaven, but here,” Xie Xiao wrapped an arm around his waist, lifting him and driving repeatedly into the deepest part, “you’re only my wife.”