Chapter 64
Yuli had a nightmare.
In the dream, there were many strangers, either lying or sitting among the overgrown trees of the Duke’s Residence, all covered in blood.
Only Xie Chunlan was left alive. She looked at her, smiled, and raised her hand, a bare wrist.
She lifted the hem of her skirt, and her legs were also empty.
Suddenly, someone pulled her wrist. She turned around and saw a familiar coiled dragon robe and a sword that was still dripping blood.
Yuli woke up abruptly, drenched in cold sweat, her chest heaving violently, panting heavily.
“Yuli,” hearing the familiar call, Yuli came to her senses.
She opened her eyes and saw Xie Yao sitting by the bed, his brow slightly furrowed as he looked at her. “What’s wrong?”
Yuli shivered again and was stiff for a moment before answering, “I had a nightmare.”
Yuli wanted to sit up but found that her wrist was held tightly by him.
The scene from the dream was still before her. She was a little confused and looked away, not looking at him.
Xie Yao let go of her wrist and helped her up.
Yuli’s figure was a little stiff. He squatted down in front of her. “Are you a little afraid of me?”
Yuli quickly forced a smile. “No.”
Only after she had said it did she realize that she was a little afraid, but she couldn’t show it. He would surely overthink it if he saw it.
Xie Yao looked at her for a while, didn’t ask any more questions, and made an excuse to go out first.
Not long after, Jingyu and Xiyun came in.
Jingyu smiled and put down the water, wrung out a cloth for Yuli. Yuli took it and wiped her face.
Xiyun also changed from her previous restraint and returned to her free and lively self.
With them, the gloom in Yuli’s heart was temporarily swept away.
Yuli held Xuemi and swung on the swing for a while, practiced calligraphy for a while. Near dusk, Xie Yao appeared out of nowhere.
He had changed into a light purple scholar’s robe.
Recently, he had been wearing black or deep purple. Yuli had not seen him in a light color for a long time.
Looking at him today, it seemed that the strong sense of fragmentation from their first meeting was gone.
Previously, he had been gloomy and inscrutable. When he had deliberately put on a sense of oppression to force her to submit, it had almost made her feel that he was a white ghost.
Now, his eyes were still deep and inscrutable, and there was no lack of his usual majesty in them. But he knew in his heart that she had him in her heart and no longer needed to force her to get close to him. He had a relaxed sense of having her heart in his grasp, and there was also a gentle smile.
He was quite handsome.
Yuli watched him approach, her expression dazed for a moment.
Xie Yao pulled her up from the swing and went into the room for dinner.
After the meal, Yuli bathed early. While Xie Yao was not yet in the bathroom, she dressed neatly and pulled him to sit by the bed to say what was on her mind.
“I’m not afraid of you,” Yuli said, looking at him and holding his hand. “I know that if you hadn’t used such extreme means to deal with them, it would have been you who would have died.”
Her words had just begun, and Xie Yao was taken aback. He held her wrist in a reverse grip and gently caressed it.
“But, can you not torture her?” Yuli looked at him.
Xie Yao’s brow twitched slightly.
Yuli quickly said, “I’m not blaming you either. I thought about it. If it were me, and I had suffered your injustices, I might have been tortured to death long ago—”
“Don’t say such things,” Xie Yao’s expression turned cold for a moment.
Yuli pursed her lips but still continued, “Or I would just endure it silently and die of depression. I don’t have the courage to resist, nor the ability to resist.”
“But you do. Fortunately, you do.”
Xie Yao’s expression softened.
Yuli’s lips curled. “You fought your way to the top, and we have today. Now that you are above tens of thousands of people, you can solve problems in a more gentle way.”
Xie Yao looked at her. “In the end, you are still afraid of me.”
Yuli was afraid that he would kill the innocent indiscriminately, but she was not in his position and could not tell who was innocent or not.
If he were to kill the innocent indiscriminately, she would indeed be afraid of him.
Yuli said no more.
Xie Yao held her in his arms and sensed her stiff body. A wave of hostility rose in his heart.
He pressed her, then let her go. “Alright, I promise you.”
Yuli was relieved, but seeing that he didn’t seem very willing, Yuli swallowed her words of persuasion.
Xie Yao continued, “Actually, they did not die in vain. At that time, the Crown Prince had failed to seize the throne and had wanted to usurp it. He had already reached the point of gathering troops. According to the law, they had committed the crime of treason, and the Xie clan was the main culprit. It was the late Emperor who had personally ordered the confiscation of their property and the extermination of their clan.”
Yuli knew about the major historical events of her past life, but her knowledge of specific political struggles was a blank.
Hearing him say this, Yuli thought of what Lizhen had said, the people’s gratitude to him for overthrowing the aristocratic families. No matter what his original intention was, he had truly done a great deed of changing the world, which could be said to be as significant as a revolution.
“Alright, let’s not worry about the past,” Yuli said, and was now relieved.
Xie Yao smiled. “I will definitely not kill indiscriminately in the future. If you can’t stand it, you can persuade me.”
Yuli was taken aback. To persuade him, she would have to be his legal wife and fully understand his career. Yuli’s head ached a little.
Would she not have to face the female dependents of his subordinates, to be high and mighty and win people’s hearts, and to be clear in her rewards and punishments?
Then she would have to learn the law?
Heavens, this was real torture.
She still preferred the life of an ordinary person, with three meals a day, tending to flowers and plants, and doing some small, valuable things within her ability.
Yuli immediately changed her mood. “You are the regent. I am just a commoner. The world is yours. You should do what you have to do. I only know how to eat, drink, and have fun.”
Xie Yao’s smile faded. It seemed that she was still unwilling to accept the supreme position he had given her.
A dark impulse rose in his heart for no reason. Xie Yao knew that he was a little out of control again.
But Yuli felt sorry for him and admired him. He had other ways to hold her firmly by his side.
“Then you do what you want to do. You don’t have to think about anything else. Leave it all to me,” Xie Yao said.
Yuli agreed. To be able to live a life like this was naturally for the best.
Xie Yao went to take a bath. Yuli lay on the inner side.
She had slept a little too much during the day, and now she was not sleepy at all. She closed her eyes, and soon the scene from her nightmare appeared in her mind.
She opened her eyes abruptly. Xie Yao had just come out of the bathroom.
He was wiping the water droplets from his body as he walked. Yuli glanced at him a few times, then turned her eyes back to the top of the bed curtains. He was getting closer and closer, and her whole body was getting stiffer and stiffer.
Although she told herself in her heart not to be afraid, she had just seen such a terrible scene today, and she couldn’t help but be shaken.
She just needed time to accept the fact that her husband had once killed many people.
Yuli adjusted herself. Xie Yao had already reached the bed, thrown down the cloth, and sat on the outer side.
Yuli turned on her side and gently held him. What she touched was skin with undulating lines.
He was not wearing any clothes. Yuli opened her eyes a crack. The light was dazzling.
Not only had he not extinguished the lights, but he had also moved the lamps to the head of the bed, and the bed curtains had not been lowered.
Yuli subconsciously let go of him and wanted to turn inwards. Xie Yao’s long arm reached out and wrapped around her waist, and she couldn’t move.
Xie Yao opened her collar.
Yuli’s breath grew heavy, but her body was still stiff.
“You don’t want to be intimate with me?” Xie Yao asked gently.
“No,” Yuli quickly denied.
Xie Yao’s fingers explored downwards, going deeper, but slowly and deliberately, his force as gentle as a feather’s light sweep.
Yuli’s fingers clenched, and she bit her lip, not as proactive in kissing him as usual.
Xie Yao stopped, slid to her fingertips, and pulled them to his lower back, letting her touch his scar.
“This was stabbed with a fire tong.”
Yuli trembled violently and wanted to pull her fingers away, but Xie Yao held them tightly.
“And then it was repeatedly stabbed when it was about to heal.”
Yuli’s whole body went numb, and the pain in her heart was so great that she couldn’t breathe.
She looked up at Xie Yao and saw that his eyes were closed, his brow slightly furrowed, and his Adam’s apple moved.
Yuli turned into his arms and held him. “Don’t think about it. It’s all in the past. No one can hurt you in the future.”
Yuli was trembling badly, but Xie Yao was unusually calm at this moment.
Xie Yao held her. In his life, pleasing had never worked, and showing weakness was no different from seeking death.
But now, he would rather put his life in Yuli’s hands, to please her, to please her.
“You can,” Xie Yao said.
Yuli heard his chest tremble. “I can kill that groom, I can kill my father, my grandfather, and Xie Chunlan, but you can kill me.”
Xie Yao thought that this should sound quite moving.
But Yuli was so shocked she wanted to get up from him.
Xie Yao pressed her down and put on a helpless look again. “Are you really disgusted with me for being too cruel?”
Yuli was about to break down. For a moment, she felt sorry for him, and for another, she was afraid of him. Was she abnormal, or was he the one who kept talking about killing, and he was the one who was not normal?
“A little,” Yuli said honestly. “Let me calm down first. I might need some time. Let’s just hold each other and sleep.”
Xie Yao did not agree.
“But I want to,” Xie Yao said bluntly.
Saying this, he began to touch her, and all her clothes were pulled down and thrown under the bed.
Yuli struggled for a while, then turned over and lay down. “Alright then.”
She closed her eyes, thinking it would be fine if she didn’t look at him.
But the moment his palm covered her, her whole body went numb and cold.
She opened her eyes. In the bright light, his face was handsome, and his eyes were smiling, tinged with a very light lust, and he was treating her with great care.
It’s better to look.
Yuli looked at him.
“Look at my hands.”
Yuli’s gaze moved downwards. It was only when she couldn’t go any further that she saw his hands. His fingers were like jade, but between them was a soft, snowy color.
Yuli’s whole body was on fire.
A pink flush spread over her whole body, and her cheeks were as red as a crabapple.
“Is it still scary?” Xie Yao’s voice was tinged with a smile.
Yuli closed her eyes and shook her head repeatedly.
“And this one.”
Yuli could feel where his other hand was. She would not open her eyes to look even if it killed her.
Soon, her interest was piqued, and she was really not afraid anymore. Yuli was waiting for him to take the next step, but he bent down, held her lips, and kissed her deeply.
After a long time, he held the back of her neck and her back, turned over, and he was on the bottom, and she was on top of him.
Yuli’s mouth was dry, and she was dazed by this sudden movement.
Xie Yao pressed against her earlobe, opened his lips, and bit down. Yuli trembled incessantly.
“You can also do as you please with me,” he said.
Yuli’s whole body was scorching hot, and she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
But he really had no intention of continuing.
Yuli felt a sense of being in-between.
“Yuli,” Xie Yao was still whispering in her ear, “believe me, whether in the past or in the future, no matter how wild I am, only you can dominate me.”
Yuli wanted to move but was held tightly by him. He pushed her upper body up.
“You can do it.”
His body was glowing with a warm light in the candlelight, and his lines were perfect. Yuli also seemed to be possessed and did as he said.
The light and shadow flickered, and Yuli’s vision was a blur.
Xie Yao’s forearm was firm and steady. She had no strength left, but she was still moving. The blue veins on his forearm were undulating.
Yuli was a mortal, but Xie Yao seemed to be made of iron. His arms did not feel tired, and his waist was like a perpetual motion machine…
Yuli couldn’t hold on and fell on him, wanting to stop, to get down.
He held her.
He said she could do as she pleased, but he would not let her stop.
Yuli finally realized that she had been tricked again.
“You big liar,” she cursed weakly.
Xie Yao chuckled.
“You big bastard!”
Xie Yao’s smile deepened. “Not bad. Remember your current mood.”
Yuli swore that she would remember this time and would not let him dominate her again. She had to stand up, and one day she would play him from the inside out.
But it was not possible today.
It was the first time Yuli had experienced that this was a physical activity. She had only held on for half a quarter of an hour and had been defeated early. But Xie Yao’s stamina was amazing. His whole body was drenched in sweat, but he didn’t seem tired.
In the end, Yuli lay on him, bit his shoulder, and cried out in a low voice before he stopped.
Yuli was exhausted both physically and mentally. She fell asleep peacefully, with no dreams all night.
Before dawn, Yuli was turned over by Xie Yao.
Yuli pushed him. “I’m tired. Don’t touch me.”
Xie Yao chuckled. “I’ll take you somewhere.”
Yuli opened her eyes. The sky was just beginning to lighten. It was the time he usually went out, but she hadn’t had enough sleep and didn’t want to move.
Yuli hummed and fell asleep again.
A quarter of an hour later, Xie Yao was ready. He looked at her for a while. Time was tight, and there was no other way.
In the end, he pulled her up, had Xiyun and Jingyu forcefully dress her, and carried her to the carriage.
The sky outside was not yet bright. Yuli was full of resentment and didn’t want to be near him. She leaned against the carriage wall and dozed off.
When they reached the place, Yuli heard some movement, but Xie Yao was on the side, and the carriage did not stop, so she continued to sleep.
The carriage stopped, but Yuli didn’t move. She was in a daze, only remembering that she had to go against Xie Yao and not listen to whatever he said.
After a moment of silence, she suddenly heard Xie Yao ask outside.
“Is everyone here?”
“Reporting to Master, they have all arrived.”
The reply was sonorous and powerful, and not without respect. Yuli woke up at once. She wanted to lift the carriage curtain to take a peek but was held by Xie Yao’s hand.
The carriage was parked at the north gate behind the hall. Besides the palace servants, there were also the imperial guards. The court officials were all waiting at the south gate.
Today, all those who had been arranged were his trusted men. Xie Yao was not worried about anything.
“Go inside and sleep,” Xie Yao said, looking at her, his smile inscrutable.
Yuli guessed that this was probably his territory. She was being stubborn and straightened her back. “I’m not sleeping.”
The corners of Xie Yao’s mouth could barely be suppressed.
He cleared his throat, recovered his deepness, and got out of the carriage first. He did not move his feet but stood under the carriage and turned back.
Yuli lifted the carriage curtain and saw several people in armor standing around. She almost wanted to shrink back, but Xie Yao was quick and held her wrist. He pulled her to the shaft of the carriage and carried her down.
Yuli’s feet landed on the ground, and she turned to hold Xie Yao and wouldn’t let go.
Xie Yao’s face was deep and as steady as Mount Tai. He was holding a brocade box in his hand and led her into the hall.
After entering the door, the imperial guards outside did not come in. Yuli let out a huge sigh of relief.
In the hall, Yuli looked around. The ceiling was high and wide, and the pillars were larger than she could wrap her arms around. The beams were exquisitely carved and painted.
The furnishings were simple. At the head of the room was a very large desk, with stacks of books on it. On the left and right were two rows of small tables, also with brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.
It looked like an office.
“Where is this?” Yuli asked.
“The Imperial Palace, Zichen Hall,” Xie Yao replied.
Only then did Yuli see clearly that he was wearing a coiled dragon robe. This was where he governed.
Yuli’s scalp tingled. She held on to her composure. “What are you bringing me here for?”
“To sleep,” Xie Yao said.
Yuli almost wanted to ask him if he was sick but held back.
Xie Yao pointed to the screen with the sun shining on a thousand mountains. “Go behind there. You can sleep, or do as you please.”
Yuli snorted, turned, and went behind the screen. Xie Yao followed and placed the brocade box on the table.
He went out. Only then did Yuli go and open it. It was a box of pastries, still warm.
Yuli took a piece and ate it casually. Behind this, there was a soft couch and two rows of very high bookshelves, filled with books.
A servant came in to serve tea, bowed, did not look at her, and walked and moved as if without a sound.
Yuli paused, then heard someone announce loudly from outside, “Summon the Right Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs, the Minister of War, the Vice Minister of Personnel, and the Minister of Revenue to the hall.”