Of course, she only dared to think about it. If Lian Yu saw her sleeping in his bed, he might very well butcher her alive.

Just as she was thinking this, she suddenly heard footsteps and voices approaching.

“Your Majesty, whose tablet will you turn tonight?”

It wasn’t just Lian Yu alone… That was a slightly high-pitched voice. Suzhen immediately understood what was happening. Her face flushed, and in her slight panic she actually hid inside the dragon bed, where the thick curtains completely concealed her.

“I’ll sleep here tonight. No need to attend me in changing clothes either. You may all withdraw.”

Lian Yu replied indifferently.

Several eunuchs respectfully acknowledged and withdrew.

Suzhen sighed in relief, thinking she should go out now to beg forgiveness. But while coming here she’d had the spirit of “the wind whistles cold at Yi River, the hero departs never to return,” now the more she thought about it, the more frightened she became—if she went out like this, would Lian Yu kill her in his anger?

She had entered the palace without permission.

She had entered his bedchamber.

She had also dirtied his dragon bed.

Ugh, this Lian Yu fellow even had a cleanliness obsession.

Impulse is a devil, a devil! Good people and loyal subjects shouldn’t act like this. The more she thought, the more she felt herself an idiot, suddenly hoping Lian Yu would quickly go sleep with his consorts so she could escape.

Suddenly remembering the guards outside—dozens of them, imposing and fierce, all looking very capable fighters…

The more she thought, the more frightened she became, then heard Lian Yu somewhere in the room give a light laugh.

What was this fellow laughing about—just as she was thinking, the curtains suddenly flew toward her. That heavy golden fabric was sliced open by a gust of wind, and a gleaming long sword followed, placed at her neck.

“Have you come to assassinate me?”

The man’s voice instantly sounded beside her ear, still half-carrying laughter yet thoroughly permeated with murderous intent.

She was so startled her heart nearly jumped out, hurriedly saying, “Your Majesty, Your Majesty, it’s your humble subject, not an assassin. Please don’t strike!”

Lian Yu had also clearly seen who was trembling under his sword, nearly impaling herself on the blade in her terror. He stared expressionlessly at the two footprints on his bed for quite some time, gritting his teeth repeatedly, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, then threw down his sword and dragged the person from the bed to throw her on the floor.

Suzhen kowtowed several times in succession, but there was still no sound. That enormous oppressive feeling still hung over her head like terrifying dark clouds. She secretly raised her head to steal a glance, unexpectedly meeting Lian Yu’s sharp eyes, startling her into sitting down hard on the ground.

Lian Yu glanced at the uniform she wore and sneered, “Let me guess how Chief Justice Li got in here. What Minister Li whispered to the princess earlier was about this, wasn’t it? First have the princess summon you to the palace, then disguise yourself as a little eunuch, follow the princess here, and finally she leaves while you stay.”

Suzhen immediately said solemnly, “Your Majesty is brilliant, truly too brilliant! Nothing your humble subject does can escape Your Majesty’s discerning eye! But your humble subject did this only to see Your Majesty! Please, in consideration of your humble subject’s complete devotion to Your Majesty, forgive this offense.”

Complete devotion—Lian Yu’s mouth twitched, instantly remembering something, and said sarcastically, “Minister Li has complete devotion for everyone. I hear you’re very close with Marquis Huo, and seeing today, all your attendants are objects of your complete devotion.”

Suzhen was actively racking her brains for words to exonerate herself when she heard this and was stunned. Why was this person suddenly going off-topic? After a moment’s thought, she understood—Lian Yu had always had a cleanliness obsession and naturally disliked men who preferred men, considering such relationships filthy and unbearable. Her inspiration struck, and she immediately put on a righteous expression. “Your Majesty, your humble subject was dizzy and nauseous earlier, so had my attendants help me. My friendship with Marquis Huo is gratitude for his past assistance. Your humble subject is absolutely not… that way, and will never be that way, until the seas run dry and rocks crumble.”

After her passionate declaration, she saw Lian Yu’s face had somehow grown even darker, and wondered what she’d said wrong. Frowning in thought, she suddenly understood—could Lian Yu have misunderstood that she wasn’t that way with others but was that way with him? She hurriedly said, “Of course, though your humble subject’s devotion to Your Majesty is complete, it’s absolutely not that kind of feeling, but rather respect and admiration—”

“Are you finished?”

She was still talking when Lian Yu sternly cut her off, his eyes layered with amber light, his anger seemingly growing greater. She thought this was bad—this bastard was unmoved by either soft or hard approaches. Glancing at the tea cup on the nearby table, she quickly grabbed it and offered it to Lian Yu. “Here, smash it.”

Lian Yu’s gaze suddenly darkened, and he suddenly bent down to grasp her neck. “You’re still resentful about how I treated you in the Imperial Study that day?”

Suzhen wanted to cry but had no tears. She had just seen him angry and let him smash something to vent, remembering how happily he’d smashed things in the Imperial Study that day. Where had his mind gone?

Fortunately, though this person’s face looked somewhat fierce, his hands weren’t really using force, but the feeling of their skin touching at her neck was ultimately awkward for her.

Since she truly couldn’t understand this man’s thinking, she decided to stay quiet and look at him with somewhat hurt eyes.

“Are you really that wronged?”

Lian Yu’s expression grew even worse, and he scolded her, then with a sweep of his dark sleeves, actually lifted her up in his arms.

Suzhen was completely bewildered, both shocked and alarmed. Was he planning some perverted way to torture her?

She had never been held like this by anyone. Her nose was filled with the clean fragrance from his clothes. She instinctively put her hand across his chest, but touched his firm, hard muscles. Overcome with shame and alarm, not caring that he was the emperor who could take her life with a word, she cried out instinctively.

At this moment, Lian Yu had already placed her securely on his bed.

Immediately, tense voices came from outside the door. “Your Majesty, what happened?”

“Nothing, just one of my… consorts being naughty, sneaking in to hide and play a joke on me. You may withdraw.”

Lian Yu covered her mouth with his hand and said leisurely with a smile. Suzhen was shocked beyond belief, but saw his eyelashes lower as he said softly, “Li Huaisu, if you make any more noise, I’ll shout ‘assassin.'”

This indeed caused unrest outside, with panicked voices ringing out loudly, “This slave is guilty for not knowing someone had entered Your Majesty’s bedchamber.”

That booming male voice—Suzhen swallowed hard, her mind filled with bloody scenes of herself being hacked to death. Her heart pounded as she thought that heroes don’t suffer immediate losses, and gentlemen take revenge after ten years. Someday I’ll kill you. For now, just… just go with it… pervert or not, torture or not.

Though she said this, when Lian Yu knelt on one knee, half-crouching on the ground, reached out to grasp her ankle and rolled up her pants, she was still so excited she nearly died of a brain hemorrhage on the spot.