Chapter 191: His Name Is Wu Taimei!!!!!

Xiao Yang was bathing, but she was well aware that Rong Yin and Mu Yunlian were fighting.

Ling Ji looked like she had something to say, but in the end, she held her tongue.

Xiao Yang noticed, but offered no explanation.

’Let men solve their own problems. If they can’t, then they can both get lost.’

Xiao Yang wasn’t short on men, nor did she desperately need one right now. So while she didn’t resist their advances, she wouldn’t lose any sleep over any of them either.

’She would be more lenient with Mu Yunlian, given that he was a former senior classmate and had saved her life. But if he wanted to be her man, that was a different matter entirely.’

’She might yield out of gratitude, but she would never humble herself for love.’

After her bath, Xiao Yang emerged to a report from Liang Sha. "Your Majesty, the Danzhou Governor requests an audience. He has also brought Marquis Wucheng, Zhao Cheng’an. He claims the Marquis was drinking at his residence and expressed a keen desire to pay his respects, so he brought him here."

’Uh... is he sure Zhao Cheng’an came willingly?’

Never mind that for a moment. Xiao Yang was curious about only one thing. "Did Wu Taimei come too?"

Liang Sha replied, "That’s right."

Xiao Yang rose to her feet. "Send them in at once."

"Your humble servants greet Your Majesty!"

In the main hall, the two men bowed before Xiao Yang.

The one on the left was the man she’d seen at noon. On the right was Zhao Cheng’an, who had previously been tied up like a rice dumpling but was now dressed quite respectably.

Zhao Cheng’an had clearly been dragged here after considerable torment, yet now he was bowing with perfect propriety, appearing remarkably harmonious with the man beside him.

Xiao Yang decided to ignore the question of their newfound harmony for now. Her gaze flickered between the two men, swept past the doorway, and finally landed on the tall, handsome, and rugged man with a roguish air about him.

She hadn’t actually meant to look at him, but the man’s eyes were simply too bright. They were fixed on her like a pair of 100-watt light bulbs, so intense they almost made her eyes ache.

"Wu... Taimei?"

Xiao Yang was uncertain, filled with overwhelming doubt. It was mainly because no one else had entered, they had announced Wu Taimei’s arrival, and this man’s stare was just so arresting. She called his name out tentatively, though she didn’t truly believe for a second that this could be Wu Taimei.

The man performed a civil servant’s bow, his voice deep and resonant. "I am here, Your Majesty."

Xiao Yang: "..."

’SNAP. Her heart shattered.’

’Crushed beyond repair.’

’Wu Taimei... This brawny man before her was Wu Taimei?’

’This handsome, roguish, devastatingly feral man who looked to be in his thirties... his name was Wu Taimei!!!!!!’

Xiao Yang pinched her thigh with all her might. Tears welled up from the pain, but even that couldn’t stifle her laughter.

"HAHAHAHAHA..."

"HAHAHAHA..." ’His name is Wu Taimei!’

"HAHAHA..."

Xiao Yang felt like she was going insane, but at that moment, she just couldn’t hold it in.

’The fact that Wu Taimei was a strapping man wasn’t what was so funny. What was hilarious were the things he’d done.’

’A huge man like this, writing memorials to the throne whining about being bullied.’

’Bragging about all his unscrupulous deeds, then trying to play cute with her for a reward, and even writing more than ten ’love letters’ to deceive Zhao Cheng’an.’

’Oh, and Zhao Cheng’an was standing right there beside him.’

’I’d love to know what’s going through his head right now.’

Xiao Yang recalled his file. Wu Taimei was thirty-eight. That wasn’t particularly old, but his words and actions had painted a picture in her mind of a gaunt, bearded man—a cowardly sycophant who threw his weight around, a somewhat sleazy, middle-aged character.

Now, to put that face to all of Wu Taimei’s deeds... the contrast was staggering.

No wonder he’d claimed the Commander’s Wife’s young niece had fallen for him at first sight and refused to marry anyone else. He made it sound like he’d been forced into marrying her, speaking as if she were the one getting the better end of the deal.

Back then, Xiao Yang had assumed he was just boasting. Now, it seemed he might have been telling the truth after all.

"Wu Taimei... Your name is really Wu Taimei..."

Tears of laughter streamed down Xiao Yang’s face. She pointed a finger at him. "You’re the one who wrote me all those memorials?"

Wu Taimei puffed out his chest, looking immensely proud. "The very same, Your Majesty."

A smile never left Xiao Yang’s face as she gestured at him. "With a build like that, how can you always be complaining that people are bullying you?"

Wu Taimei answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Your servant may be built sturdily, but I’m actually no good at martial arts. Besides, they’re a whole group of military generals. How could I possibly win a fight against all of them alone?"

’He actually had a point.’

After exchanging just a few words, Xiao Yang was certain. This really was Wu Taimei, the man from the memorials. He was an even more amusing character than she had imagined.

Having accepted the reality of Wu Taimei being a brawny man, Xiao Yang’s gaze finally shifted to Zhao Cheng’an.

"Marquis Wucheng, I’ve received the items you sent. I understand the sentiment, so there was really no need for you to pay a personal visit."

Zhao Cheng’an: "..."

’Does she think I came here willingly?’

His expression appeared calm, but in reality, his entire body ached. The bruises where the ropes had bound him were still numb.

But he didn’t dare admit he’d been brought here by force.

"I... I have indeed been thinking of Your Majesty, but I dared not impose. I never imagined that after a few careless words while drinking with Governor Wu, he would take me so seriously and insist on dragging me here to see you..."

Zhao Cheng’an was forty-eight years old, nearly half a century. With gray-streaked hair, he looked like any other middle-aged man.

His face showed little ambition, only weariness and helplessness.

There was once an ambitious Marquis Wucheng. Then he met a total troll named Wu Taimei, and he became the Zhao Cheng’an you see today.

Xiao Yang had nothing to say to him. The matter of his rebellion was an unspoken understanding between them. She had no desire to listen to his hollow platitudes, and he likely knew he was not in the Emperor’s favor.

She ordered someone to lead Zhao Cheng’an away to rest—which was, in reality, to place him under guard.

Then, she ordered wine and food to be prepared to properly entertain Wu Taimei.

Before they began drinking, Xiao Yang asked, "Yizhou has its share of capable people. Now that you’ve conned Zhao Cheng’an like this, they’re sure to retaliate. Have you made sure your family is protected?"

Wu Taimei said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I’ve already made arrangements for their safety. They won’t be in any danger."

Only then did Xiao Yang raise her cup. "As ruler and subject, we have finally met. We must celebrate with a drink."

Wu Taimei lifted his cup. "Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty."

He downed the wine in one go, and his very next words were, "Your Majesty, when can I come to the Capital City?"

As he spoke, he produced the memorial with the Emperor’s reply. "Your Majesty’s word is worth its weight in gold. I carry it with me always."

Xiao Yang: "..."

’No one knew better than she what was written on that memorial.’

’Wu Taimei had written at length about how much he wanted to meet her, and Xiao Yang had replied with a single line: *Does Marquis Wucheng look like a third-rank official position to you?*’

’She knew Wu Taimei could pull it off; she just wanted to see how.’

’And sure enough, he hadn’t disappointed her.’

’Now that he had the man in hand, he was here to claim his prize.’

A sudden thought struck Xiao Yang, and she looked at him, astonished. "You didn’t already send your wife to the Capital City, did you?"

Wu Taimei broke into a wide grin. "Your Majesty knows me best!"

He had captured Zhao Cheng’an and knew a promotion was coming, so he’d already made his next move without the slightest hesitation.

Xiao Yang couldn’t help but laugh. ’Wasn’t he afraid she would go back on her word?’ she wondered. ’After all, they’d never even met. Where did he get such profound trust?’

’But then she remembered she was the Emperor. A sovereign’s word is bond. She couldn’t very well undermine her own authority.’

’This Wu Taimei... What a clever man.’

’She found herself rather looking forward to his arrival at court. It would be the perfect opportunity to give those other officials a little shock to the system.’