Author’s note: Have you noticed that Teddy Essence has been forced to abstain recently? Hehe, I have such a wicked taste.
He wouldn’t bite her anymore; if he couldn’t control himself in the future, he’d bite himself. How could he bear to hurt her? He took her hand and gently kissed it, trailing kisses to her soft lips.
Her small hand blocked him. Ruan Ning’s eyelashes fluttered coyly: “No, my breath is bad.”
“I don’t mind,” Shang Mian smiled, knowing she was holding a grudge.
“I mind you,” she pretended to be disdainful.
“Sorry, but what you say doesn’t count,” Shang Mian twisted her arm behind her, and his cool lips pressed down.
Intimately entwined, melting together – what could be more intoxicating than a passionate kiss with a loved one?
The fire in the imperial palace was extinguished in one place and reignited in another. Palace maids and eunuchs were terrified, no longer caring about palace rules. Many escaped the imperial city in the chaos…
She couldn’t be bothered to argue with them and stepped aside, but the group blocked her path. A delicate-looking girl said, “Sister, a woman remarrying is against feminine virtue. A twice-married woman brings shame to the clan. Sister, you only care about climbing social ladders, disgracing all women.”
Ruan Ning rolled her eyes and asked, “Did your cook put too much salt in the food recently?”
“The delicate girl stared with innocent eyes, puzzled.
‘If you hadn’t eaten too much salt, how could you be so idle, spouting such nonsense?’ Ruan Ning said, pushing the woman aside and walking out quickly.
The girl burst into tears: ‘Sister, I was sincerely advising you, yet you humiliate me…’
‘I think she’s right. You’ve definitely had too much salt and are too idle,’ Shang Mian said from behind. ‘Seize these women who have rashly entered the royal residence and offended the empress, and beat them to death.’
The women were terrified, crying out in protest, but Shang Mian remained unmoved. Ruan Ning softly advised him, ‘They just said a few idle words. Spare them this time.’
Impatient from being pestered by old schemers about taking concubines, Shang Mian coldly snorted, ‘If we don’t deal with these people harshly, they’ll only become more presumptuous. Kill them to prevent others from copying their behavior.’
Without further discussion, he waved his hand, and people dragged the women away, disappearing without a trace.
Ruan Ning shivered, wondering if she would meet the same fate if she ever offended him.
Shang Mian embraced her and smiled, asking, ‘Those old schemers urged me to ascend the throne immediately. Do you want to be empress?’
Ruan Ning shook her head.”
Shang Mian laughed, “If you don’t want to, that’s fine. But you’ll still have to do it. I have no one else.”
That afternoon, Shang Mian agreed to ascend the throne and established Ruan Ning as empress. Following this announcement, several noble daughters were executed by Shang Mian for disrespecting the future empress, shocking the entire capital.
Ruan Ning, with an unremarkable background and previously divorced, faced outrage from many families hoping to send their daughters to the palace. Those who had mocked her were both angry and fearful, causing an uproar. Annoyed by the chaos, Shang Mian punished some, imprisoned others, and some fled to support Shang Mingsi’s provinces.
Despite the turmoil outside, Ruan Ning remained unaware as Shang Mian had sealed off information to prevent her worry. The coronation ceremony was set for three days later. While Ruan Ning was being fitted for her ceremonial dress and listening to endless instructions, she nearly fell asleep. Shang Mian walked in and carried her away, saying, “Let her do as she wishes. She doesn’t need to observe these formalities.”
Lying in bed that night, Ruan Ning realized they had only been sleeping together recently, without intimacy. She felt something was amiss but couldn’t pinpoint it.
Shang Mian stroked her hair with his eyes closed when she asked, “Why is Xie San angry? Isn’t your sword wound healed? Why did he say you’re seriously injured?”
Shang Mian remained silent. Xie Rong was indeed angry. Blood poison, a leg injury, parasitic poison, and past torment had taken a toll on his body. He had tried to stabilize Shang Mian, but the recent events—a sudden uprising, an emergency blood transfusion, using true qi to save her, and suffering an arrow wound—had worsened his condition.
“A-Mian, if you don’t use true qi and recuperate properly, you have about ten years left. But if you use true qi rashly again, not even a divine immortal could save you…” Xie Rong warned while delivering medicine.
His life might be short, but he lived without regret, wishing only to see her respected and powerful in his absence.
“He’s always like this. Don’t mind him,” Shang Mian reassured her, holding her tightly and kissing her. “Sleep.”
Before dawn, Shang Mian got up first. The Xuanyi Guard captain was waiting outside, whispering something. Shang Mian nodded and quickly walked out.
After Ruan Ning’s footsteps faded, she opened her eyes, sensing that he was hiding something.
“Jiaojiao, what’s wrong with Shang Mian’s body?”
The standard female voice replied, “He just had a blood transfusion and hadn’t fully recovered before rushing back to the capital. He used true qi to take you away and was injured. The system shows he has at most ten years left.”
Ruan Ning clenched her fist, realizing the danger he had placed himself in.
“Can he be cured?” she asked after a pause.
“The system has medical assistance. He can be cured if you’re willing to exchange. Alternatively, he can be revived by the system after death, restoring his body functions to optimal state,” the voice said.
Ruan Ning felt relieved; there was still hope.
Shang Mian, alongside the Xuanyi Guard, found Shang Mingsi hiding in a long-abandoned palace room. He was disheveled and filthy, shielding his eyes with his dirty sleeve when illuminated.
“Take him back. I want a clear explanation of his collusion with Northern Rong three years ago,” Shang Mian ordered.
Without resorting to torture, Shang Mingsi confessed everything after just one missed meal, detailing how he planned and operated, as well as the people involved. He remembered every detail clearly.
This was the first time he had truly defeated Shang Mian, a moment worth remembering for a lifetime.
“Check everyone on the list. Arrest and execute anyone missing,” Shang Mian ordered, glancing at the thick confession. Some were those who had advised him to take concubines to gain wealth and positions, willing to sell out warriors and even their own daughters. Such people deserved to die.
Young Master Xie hesitated. “My Lord, how shall we deal with Shang Mingsi?”
“Tomorrow, I will publicly announce his crimes and kill him myself,” Shang Yan replied casually.
“My Lord, please reconsider!” Xie urged. “As a new monarch, executing the former emperor may cause unrest among the old court officials who have just pledged allegiance. It would be better to confine him and quietly eliminate him.”
“Shang Mingsi must be executed publicly to demonstrate that those who harm our nation must atone with their lives,” Shang Yan said coldly. “The blood of tens of thousands of my soldiers cannot be in vain. If the old officials rebel over this, let them; it would be an opportunity to rid us of these despicable people who have long deserved to die.”
Young Master Xie knew his temperament and did not dare to persuade him further, secretly planning countermeasures.
The next day, the details of Shang Mingsi’s treason were announced. Shang Mingsi lay trembling, hoarsely saying, “Imperial brother, I’ve confessed everything. I am the emperor and your elder brother. You cannot kill me.”
