The Empress Goes Crazy for Ye Xuan

The next day.

In the Empress's bedchamber, the storm of passion had just subsided.

The air was filled with the faint scent of ambergris and a lingering romantic atmosphere.

Wu Lingxiao leaned lazily against the soft couch, her brows tightly furrowed. Her eyes held no satisfaction from the recent pleasure, only a lingering irritation.

"What is it? Is that little wildcat still troubling Your Majesty?"

A voice as gentle and warm as jade rang out.

The man speaking was draped in a thin gauze robe, kneeling behind Wu Lingxiao, gently massaging her temples.

His long hair was like ink, his skin as white as snow, and his brow exuded the unique nobility and composure of a young master from a great aristocratic family.

Even while performing the task of a servant, he looked pleasing to the eye and utterly elegant.

The Empress of Great Xia, Zhou Xubai.

He was the eldest legitimate son of the Zhou family, one of the four great noble clans. With outstanding talent, he was already a mighty expert at the Body Integration Realm.

He was the role model of this harem, the paragon that all male concubines looked up to—gentle, kind, respectful, frugal, and yielding, he had taken these virtues to the absolute extreme.

"Xubai..."

Wu Lingxiao opened her eyes and looked at the flawless face before her, but for some reason, the image of Ye Xuan's dirty yet brightly smiling face flashed through her mind.

She waved Zhou Xubai's hands away with a hint of annoyance, sat up, and said coldly:

"I simply cannot understand."

"I gave him a way out, gave him a stepping stone. As long as he is willing to bow his head, I would even give him a status second only to yours. But he would rather guard a latrine pit and eat spoiled steamed buns than spare me a single glance."

"Does he really find me that disgusting?"

A trace of imperceptible gloom flashed across Zhou Xubai's eyes.

Her Majesty was in his bed, yet thinking of another man.

This feeling was like ten thousand ants biting at his heart.

But he hid it well. He was the Empress; he had to be magnanimous and share Her Majesty's burdens.

"Your Majesty, you are too impatient."

Zhou Xubai smiled faintly, his voice as soft as if coaxing a child. "Although Ye Xuan's cultivation is low, his bones are hard. A person like him is like an eagle in the wilderness. If you whip him, he will only starve himself to death."

"Then what should be done?" Wu Lingxiao raised an eyebrow.

"Attacking the heart is the best strategy."

A wise light flickered in Zhou Xubai's eyes as he spoke slowly:

"The reason Ye Xuan isn't afraid of hardship is that he has always endured it. He is a rogue cultivator, used to sleeping in the wind and dining in the dew, used to being looked down upon. Therefore, the poverty of the Changmen Palace means nothing to him."

"But all humans have inherent weaknesses."

Zhou Xubai stretched out his slender finger and gently drew a circle in the air:

"Your Majesty should do the exact opposite."

"First, restore his privileges, making them even better than those of ordinary concubines. Give him the best spirit stones, the softest brocade quilts, and the most delicious delicacies."

"Second, let him see the lives of his peers. Find some favored male concubines to chat with him, let him see with his own eyes what kind of honor and power submitting to Your Majesty can bring."

"When he gets used to a life of luxury, gets used to being served, gets used to his cultivation advancing by leaps and bounds... at that time, you will suddenly take it all away."

A cruel and confident smile curled at the corners of Zhou Xubai's mouth:

"Going from frugality to luxury is easy; going from luxury to frugality is hard."

"When a person has enjoyed the clouds and is then kicked back into the mud... this sheer drop is enough to destroy anyone's will. When that time comes, without Your Majesty even having to speak, he will crawl over and beg you himself."

As Wu Lingxiao listened, her eyes gradually lit up.

She turned around, threw her arms around Zhou Xubai's neck, and kissed him hard on the lips:

"Excellent! What a brilliant strategy!"

"Truly worthy of being my good Empress, my chief strategist!"

Zhou Xubai submissively nestled in the Female Emperor's embrace, his lowered eyelids hiding the bitterness in his eyes.

To win your favor, I am personally teaching you how to tame another man...

Wu Lingxiao, do you know that my heart can also ache?

The next day, everything changed in the Changmen Palace.

The originally dilapidated palace gates were newly renovated, and the foul-smelling latrine next door was filled in overnight, replaced by precious purple bamboo.

Chests of top-grade spirit stones and bottles of pills that would cause a bloodbath in the outside world were sent into Ye Xuan's room like flowing water.

Even the hard wooden bed was replaced by a cloud couch made of ten-thousand-year warm jade.

"What is going on here?"

Ye Xuan stared at the room full of jewels and treasures, his eyes wide and round.

The eunuch who came to announce the decree had a face full of smiles. "Congratulations, Master Ye. Her Majesty said that the subordinates were ignorant a few days ago and neglected you. These are all to soothe your shock. Please live here at ease and cultivate in peace."

After speaking, the eunuch left the items and departed, unexpectedly not mentioning anything about serving the Emperor in bed.

"It's a trap! It's definitely a trap!"

Uncle Fu looked at those spirit stones warily, pulling on Ye Xuan's sleeve. "Kid, don't touch them. This is definitely a trap."

However, Ye Xuan had already pounced on them.

He picked up a top-grade spirit stone, feeling the surging spiritual energy inside, practically drooling. "Uncle Fu, who cares if it's a trap! As long as they don't make me serve in bed, I'll take whatever they give!"

"It's a waste not to take it! These are spirit stones! I used to risk my life killing a demonic beast just to exchange for two low-grade spirit stones, and here is a whole chest full of top-grade ones!"

And so, Ye Xuan began a crazy cultivation mode.

Although he had a mixed five-element spirit root with an extremely low absorption rate, he had an overwhelming amount of resources!

He ate pills like jellybeans and slept on spirit stones as pillows.

At the same time, the sightseeing group of male concubines arranged by Wu Lingxiao also arrived.

Several flamboyantly dressed male concubines with decent cultivation bases often passed by the Changmen Palace and came in to chat with Ye Xuan.

"Oh my, little brother Ye, look at my Flowing Light Sword. It's an Earth-grade dharma treasure, rewarded by Her Majesty when I served her last night."

One male concubine deliberately performed a sword flourish in front of Ye Xuan, sword aura crisscrossing, making Ye Xuan stare with envy.

"Wow! Good sword! It's so cool!" Ye Xuan praised from the bottom of his heart.

"Do you want it?" The male concubine coaxed patiently. "As long as you serve Her Majesty well, just like your older brother here, there are plenty of swords like this in the storehouse."

Ye Xuan withdrew his gaze, scratched his head, and asked with sincere curiosity:

"But... no matter how good this sword is, can you take it out of the palace to kill demonic beasts? Can you take it to roam the martial world?"

The male concubine was stunned. "This... naturally not. We are Her Majesty's concubines, how can we leave the palace as we please?"

"Then what's the use of having this sword?"

Ye Xuan spread his hands, looking regretful. "If it can't slay demons and eradicate evil, if you can't rely on it to travel the world, then this sword is just a decoration. Even if it were Heaven-grade, hanging on the wall, it's nothing more than a piece of iron."

Male concubine: "..."

Another day passed.

Another male concubine, famous for his beauty, arrived to show Ye Xuan the Face-Preserving Pills and various skincare resources he had received because of the Emperor's favor.

"Little brother Ye, for us men, this face is our capital. Look at my skin, it's so delicate it could break with a breath. You should maintain yours too, otherwise, when your looks fade and favor wanes in the future, it will be miserable."

Ye Xuan touched his own face, somewhat rough from the wind and sun, and said with a grin:

"It's fine. I'm a man, why would I need to be so tender? Besides, looks fading and favor waning is a phrase meant for pets. And I don't want to be a pet."

No matter how much these male concubines flaunted their status, power, and cultivation bases, Ye Xuan's reactions were always limited to two things:

If it was something genuinely good, he would sincerely praise it and express his envy.

But the moment it involved trading freedom and dignity for it, he would immediately shake his head. His eyes would be as clear as a fool's, yet as profoundly perceptive as a sage's.

Why should I go?

I don't want to trade.

I think things are just fine the way they are.

After a month of this, the male concubines returned in disappointment.

They had originally come to brainwash Ye Xuan, but instead, they were left feeling stifled by his remark: No matter how beautiful a canary in a cage is, it is still just a bird; no matter how ugly a sparrow outside is, it is free.

This past month had been the happiest month of Ye Xuan's life.

Relying on the massive accumulation of resources, his sieve-like body had miraculously managed to retain a fraction of the energy.

Boom!

A faint, muffled sound echoed.

Covered in sweat, Ye Xuan jumped up in excitement: Uncle Fu! Uncle Fu! I broke through! I'm at the fifth level of Qi Condensation!!

Uncle Fu, who had been dozing off, opened his eyes. Looking at Ye Xuan, who was jumping around like an excited monkey, he shook his head helplessly:

What a sin...

You've consumed enough resources to push a pig all the way to the Golden Core stage, yet you've only broken through to the fifth level of Qi Condensation... Your spirit root is simply a bottomless pit.

Boy, don't celebrate too early, Uncle Fu poured cold water on his excitement. You've piled this up using pills, so your foundation is terribly hollow. Furthermore, after you've eaten so much, Her Majesty is probably about to close the net.

Just as Uncle Fu's words fell.

Outside Changmen Palace, the procession delivering spirit stones and pills abruptly ceased.

Early the next morning.

There were no more supreme-grade spirit stones, nor were there any exotic delicacies.

On the table sat two blackened, cold steamed buns and a bowl of clear broth with a few floating vegetable leaves, just as before.

Inside the imperial study, Wu Lingxiao stared intently at the water mirror.

It's time.

A cruel smile curled at the corners of her mouth: Ye Xuan, you've enjoyed a month of immortal-like days. Now that you've suddenly plunged back into hell, what will you do?

Will you cry and throw a tantrum? Will you go mad?

Will you be unable to resist crawling to my feet to beg?

However.

The scene in the water mirror caused the smile on Wu Lingxiao's face to gradually freeze, and ultimately shatter completely.

She saw Ye Xuan wake up, glance at the cold steamed buns on the table, and pause in surprise for a moment.

Then, he shrugged.

There were no complaints, nor was there any anger.

He picked up the rock-hard bun, broke it into pieces just like he did a month ago, soaked it in the broth, and began eating with hearty bites.

After finishing his meal, he wiped his mouth and sat cross-legged on the bed.

Without spirit stones for assistance, he simply absorbed the faint traces of ambient spiritual energy drifting between heaven and earth.

Without pills to break through bottlenecks, he repeatedly practiced the Taizu Long Fist to temper his physique.

He still joked around merrily with Uncle Fu, still spaced out while staring at the purple bamboo in the courtyard, and still lived like a wild weed, blooming brightly when given a bit of sunlight, and growing savagely in the dark when there was none.

This... how is this possible?!

Wu Lingxiao stood up abruptly, her eyes full of disbelief.

Does he feel nothing? Falling from the clouds, is he not in pain?

She didn't understand.

Because she had been born and raised in the imperial palace, everything she owned had always been the best.

She couldn't imagine that for someone who had truly endured hardship and possessed a rich inner world, material scarcity could never breach his defenses.

Ye Xuan had never taken that luxury for granted.

Since it was given, I used it.

Since it's gone, I will just go back to my old life.

Gaining it was my fortune; losing it is my fate.

His heart was too vast, so vast that the splendor and wealth of the imperial palace could not fill it, and the coercion and bribery of imperial power could not crush it.

Bastard! Bastard!!

Wu Lingxiao's defenses completely broke down.

She felt as if she had punched a ball of cotton; this sense of powerlessness drove her crazy.

Since schemes are useless, and since resources are useless...

Wu Lingxiao took a deep breath, the anxiety in her eyes transforming into the desperate resolve of a final gamble:

Then I shall go and meet you myself!