Chapter 124

Yun Yaoyao instinctively lowered her head to glance at her chest. Sure enough, they were two perfectly risen steamed buns.

The switch back had happened so suddenly that Yun Yaoyao froze on the spot. She reached out and gave one of the buns a squeeze.

Soft, warm—the familiar feel of her own body!

Tu Shanjin froze as well. He lowered his head and looked at his own enlarged and enhanced physique, the tip of his nose suddenly turning a little sore.

Their eyes met, and neither could conceal their shock.

“Xiao Wuzi, leave us!” they said in unison.

Xiao Wuzi had no idea what was going on. After glancing at the strange atmosphere between the two of them, he muttered to himself and withdrew.

“So the key to switching back was sex?!”

“So I’ve finally realized the meaning of human existence is… what?”

The two voices rang out at the same time.

Tu Shanjin’s startled gaze fell upon Yun Yaoyao.

At that moment, Yun Yaoyao was still immersed in the shock of having returned to her own body.

She had considered that the trigger might be their hearts becoming one. She had considered that it might happen at the brink of life and death. She had even considered that it might occur when the two of them were at their most vulnerable and helpless—while taking a dump together, for instance.

But she had never once imagined that it would be sex!

So simple, crude, and shamelessly erotic!

There was another thing Yun Yaoyao was extremely curious about.

Now that they had switched back, could they no longer switch again? Or would every time they triggered the condition result in another soul swap?

There was only one way to find out.

Besides, she had never tried being the woman on top before.

Hehehe…

Yun Yaoyao’s eyes gleamed with a sinister, wolfish light as they were about to land on Tu Shanjin. But then she suddenly met a pair of eyes that held both amusement and a trace of chill.

“The condition for switching back? Didn’t you tell me before that I needed to comprehend the meaning of human existence?”

Yun Yaoyao gave an awkward laugh. “Let me explain—no, wait, let me defend myself…”

“From what we’ve seen, exploring the origins of human development is the meaning of human existence after all. Only by exploring the origins of human development can humanity reproduce and flourish, allowing humans to continue existing.” The more Yun Yaoyao spoke, the more reasonable it sounded to her. She even felt that she had formed a perfect closed loop.

Unfortunately, the Tu Shanjin of today was not so easy to fool—especially after watching Yun Yaoyao fool other people so often. He had learned to distinguish truth from nonsense.

To put it bluntly, if Yun Yaoyao merely stuck out her bottom, he could already tell what kind of fart she was about to let loose.

Tu Shanjin moved closer and reached out, squeezing the soft flesh of Yun Yaoyao’s cheek as he had wished to do for so long.

Soft, smooth, and tender. The feel was far better than that of his own face, and he found himself unable to let go.

Seeing that Yun Yaoyao was about to blow her top, Tu Shanjin withdrew his hand just in time. His large palm moved downward and settled on the waist he had yearned for day and night. He pulled hard, and her entire body pressed against his chest.

“You shameless pervert…” Yun Yaoyao was about to curse him when she met a pair of cold yet seductive, mist-dark eyes.

They were like moonlight wavering across a deep sea. One glance was enough to drag a person beneath the surface, leaving them unable to escape.

She had always been looking at her own face before. Seeing Tu Shanjin’s face all of a sudden took some getting used to.

His bone structure was sharp and well-defined, while his features were strikingly handsome and cold. His tall, slender figure stood with an air of noble authority and intimidating power.

In every way, he perfectly matched Yun Yaoyao’s tastes, and she swallowed involuntarily.

No!

Reject male beauty, starting with me!

“Yaoyao.” Tu Shanjin called softly beside her ear.

The noble emperor lowered his head and bent his proud body, calling the name of the woman he loved again and again. Trapped by mortal affection, he was desperate to offer her his true heart.

The two of them had experienced a soul swap and were now closer than anyone else, understanding each other better than anyone else. He knew exactly how to manipulate her heart, how to tempt her, coax her, and charm her.

“Yaoyao, you’re always trying to fool me.” His voice carried a hint of grievance as it followed close beside her ear.

Yun Yaoyao surrendered completely.

Reject male beauty? She would leave that to someone else!

She, Yun Yaoyao, was a shameless lecher. What was wrong with enjoying a little male beauty?

“There’s no ‘always.’” Her mouth was stubborn, but her heart was soft. Yun Yaoyao almost wanted to slap herself several times to atone for all the times she had tricked and bullied the tyrant.

How could he be a tyrant? He was clearly just a poor little thing who had been starved of affection since childhood and had raised thorns to protect himself from everyone else!

“I definitely won’t lie to you again.” Yun Yaoyao solemnly raised three fingers.

Seeing that she was about to start swearing an oath, Tu Shanjin caught her fingers and held them in his palm, rubbing them one by one.

“It doesn’t matter if you lie to me, as long as you’re willing to put your heart into me.”

“Even if Yaoyao deceives me, I’ll accept it gladly.” His warm breath brushed against her ear.

The fingers he had rubbed felt as though they had been scorched by fire. Yun Yaoyao’s ears were burning, her hands were burning, and her entire body was burning. Her lashes trembled, and even her breathing had become uneven.

How could he be so good at seducing people after returning to his own body? It was as if some seal had been removed!

The little deer in her heart was about to be crushed into a cripple!

Only after seeing that the other person’s excitement and guilt were about to drown her did Tu Shanjin finally put away his tea-flavored act and get down to business.

“The timing of this switch back was truly fortuitous. You don’t need to worry about personally leading an expedition anymore. Shu has rebelled, so I’ll lead the army there myself and put it down.”

“Mm. I’ll go with you. You provide the strength, I’ll provide the brains. We’ll make sure those two old villains have no idea whether they’ll live or die!”

Right then, Xiao Wuzi’s urging came from outside.

“Your Majesty, it’s time for court. You should be setting out now~”

“Wait for me to return.” Tu Shanjin lowered his head and kissed her.

The moment he left, Yun Yaoyao sprang up, full of energy.

She had never explored the imperial harem in her identity as Concubine Sha—no, Empress, that was—before. Hehehe, she was going to see what her beloved consorts were doing in the harem nowadays~

But the very next moment, her legs went weak, and she nearly fell to the floor.

“Ow, why are my legs so sore?”

Remembering what had happened, Yun Yaoyao’s little face flushed.

“Someone come! Xiao Wuzi… no, Niu Xiu’er, come help Me—no, help Your Ladyship, who is about to go out for a stroll, go out for a stroll.”

Yun Yaoyao: “…”

She still wasn’t used to being back in her own body. Her tongue was going to make her laugh herself to death~

Meanwhile, the Hall of Supreme Governance was anything but peaceful.

“His Majesty has always been punctual. Why hasn’t he come to morning court today?”

“I don’t know either. Could something have happened?”

“I can’t say whether something happened, but there are rumors outside…”

“How dare you say such things? Do you want to die?”

That was what they said, but the ministers continued discussing the matter with expressions of cowardice plastered across their faces and astonishing boldness in their words. After all, this concerned the Son of Heaven.

More importantly, if they were being honest, they had their suspicions too.

Setting aside personality, habits, and the way they handled affairs, whenever they saw the Empress, the familiar cold pressure radiating from her struck them head-on.

They had once assumed that people who shared a bed would naturally become alike. But now that this rumor had surfaced…

Hey, it wasn’t that they were being suspicious for no reason. There truly were too many strange aspects to the matter!

Aside from a few of the emperor’s most loyal confidants, every other minister had only one thought: This matter was of enormous importance. Even if it meant offending His Majesty, they had to get to the bottom of it!

The censors, who had never been afraid of death, were already rubbing their hands in anticipation. They had rehearsed their speeches several times and were merely waiting to see how things unfolded.

Before long, a figure in bright imperial yellow slowly took his seat above them.

The ministers who wanted to cause trouble glanced at one another and nodded in turn. Like carp crossing a river, they surged forward one after another.

“Your Majesty, I have an urgent matter to report!” The censor with a KPI to meet was the first to step forward.

“What is it?” Tu Shanjin swept him a cool glance, his eyes filled with the indifference of one who stood at the top.

The censor shuddered. The words he had carefully rehearsed caught in his throat, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not force them out.

Tsk! That damningly familiar pressure!

Seeing the censor’s cowardly display, the other officials cursed him inwardly before one of them hurried forward. He had a square face and an even squarer nerve.

“Your Majesty, rumors are circulating that the soul residing in your body is that of Her Majesty the Empress. Such rumors are spreading far and wide, shaking the people’s faith. For the stability of the empire, we humbly ask Your Majesty to come forward and clarify the matter as soon as possible!”

“Have me come forward to clarify that I am myself? How exactly am I to clarify that?” Tu Shanjin’s sharp, icy gaze seemed almost tangible as it bored into the official’s skin, scraping it raw. “You’re supposed to be handling these matters. If you hold office without doing your duty, then I’ll strip you of that official robe myself!”

Tsk, that damnably familiar scolding!

“Your Majesty, please calm your anger!” The official dropped to his knees with a thud, his legs trembling violently. Regret flooded his heart.

He must have had lard for brains to believe such rumors!

The officials present felt as though thorns were pricking their backs, but most of their doubts had already been dispelled.

Tu Shanjin gave a cold snort and said blandly, “I am already aware of the rumors. Such talk undermines the people’s faith and endangers the realm. Those behind it deserve death.”

“Pass down my decree. Anyone who repeats these rumors to my face shall have their entire clan executed. Anyone who submits a memorial repeating these rumors shall suffer the death penalty. Anyone who slanders me in the streets or marketplaces and allows the words to reach my ears shall be granted death by suicide.”

This damnably familiar tyrant behavior!

At that, every last doubt in the officials’ hearts vanished.

It was unquestionably their own Emperor!

The court’s resident loudmouth, Gao Chongguang, could hold back no longer. He sprang forward and launched into a verbal assault on the assembled officials.

“Your Majesty has simply been too lenient with you lot in the past! You only learn when you’re beaten, never when you’re treated well! His Majesty is benevolent and magnanimous, willing to show you mercy, yet you still don’t know when you’re lucky. How dare you doubt His Majesty!”

“You’re truly like one wave of the Yangtze pushing another forward—whatever kind of lunatic someone is, that’s exactly what you are! You—***!”

“Director Gao, you! Mind your tongue!” Quite a few officials were pushed past their breaking point by his tirade.

Tu Shanjin’s gaze fell upon Gao Chongguang. For the first time, he gave him a proper look.

The man himself was not particularly capable, but that mouth of his was exceptionally pleasing to hear.

No wonder Yaoyao had assigned the Dragonshadow Guards to protect him in secret.

According to the Dragonshadow Guards’ reports, they had secretly driven off twelve assassination attempts against him this month alone.

“That will do.” Tu Shanjin dismissed the matter with effortless ease. “Director Gao has disrupted the court proceedings. Dock half a year’s salary.”

Gao Chongguang raised his chin arrogantly at the officials before retreating, thoroughly satisfied.

The salary he had been docked was already enough to cover ten years of working for nothing. He did not care in the slightest!

To be paid while insulting people, all while clinging tightly to His Majesty’s coattails—that was what he called a worthwhile life!

Hmph~

Thus, Tu Shanjin brought the rumors in court firmly under control. After making swift and decisive arrangements for everything, he turned his attention toward Shu.

“Du Guanliu has joined forces with Ruan Xiangsong, commander of the southern army, to raise troops in Shu and rebel. These traitors are reckless and brazen. I shall grant them exactly what they desire: I will quell the rebellion, destroy the traitors, and personally lead the expedition!”