Chapter 239: Part 2

Chapter 239: Chapter 199: Part 2

Xie Che didn’t have the heart to bite down hard, so his nibble was very gentle. All she felt was a tickle.

They had done everything there was to do, and she had entrusted her life to him, yet he could still feel that he didn’t truly possess her, not completely.

Xie Che whispered his discontent in her ear.

Jiang Xian found this incomprehensible. “Emperor, no one can ever completely possess another person.”

“But I feel you treat me no differently than your ministers do.”

“Emperor, why would you belittle the bond between a ruler and his subjects? Throughout history, there have been ministers who devoted their entire lives to their duty, until death and beyond. There are those who would gladly lay down their lives for their Emperor. Isn’t that loyalty a thousand times more valuable than romance? Can the Emperor truly not see how I treat him?”

That line—”devoted their entire lives… until death and beyond”—was from Zhuge Liang.

‘It was the ultimate example of an employee repaying a boss for recognizing their talent.’

“If I press this any further, it’ll make me sound like the heartless one.”

“How could that be? The Emperor is magnanimous and treats me exceptionally well.”

Jiang Xian meant every word. The Emperor did treat her exceptionally well; he had never wronged her or caused her any grief. Xie Che rested his chin on her shoulder, his somber gaze drifting toward the vast, distant sky as he said softly, “You’re very easy to satisfy. Some people aren’t.” His words were loaded, but before Jiang Xian could dwell on them, he smiled and asked, “You’ve always been interested in court matters and eager to help lighten my burdens, yet you haven’t asked about them at all recently.”

Jiang Xian said, “To avoid suspicion.”

Xie Che froze. ‘She understands everything. She just doesn’t say it, unwilling to put me in a difficult position.’

They were the only two left in the room. He had given an order to have only Liang Yuyin stand guard for the night.

“If there’s anything you want to know, just ask me. I won’t hide anything from you.”

‘What an incredible show of trust!’

But Jiang Xian wasn’t buying it. “Knowing too much brings me no benefit, only added danger. However, if the Emperor wishes to confide in me, then please, speak your mind.”

She stroked his back.

‘He had a broad frame, one that could fill out the Dragon Robe and command the court. But a man wasn’t a god; he was bound to have moments of weakness. And on this bewildering night, he had unconsciously found his way to her Bihua Palace…’

Xie Che felt this was love. He was completely wrapped around this wicked woman’s finger.

Jiang Xian, on the other hand, believed it was because she had no powerful family backing to speak of. The Emperor could trust her completely. She was “one of his own.”

System: [Host, are you allergic to romance?]

Jiang Xian: [That is a reasonable deduction.]

The stroking on his back felt wonderful, and the big-cat Emperor buried his head even deeper.

“I want to confide in you.”

“Please speak, Emperor.”

‘When she wasn’t being flirtatious and romantic, what an unfeeling woman she was!’ Xie Che grew a little annoyed. He pulled her onto the couch, wrapping his arms tightly around her until there wasn’t a sliver of space between them. Only then did he feel a bit more at ease. “I can’t think of where to start right now. Why don’t you ask me what you want to know? I’ve said too many disingenuous things lately. Tonight, I want to speak the truth.”

‘It felt like a test, yet also like he was sulking to get his way.’

Jiang Xian thought for a moment. There was indeed a question that had been weighing on her mind. “Those memorials denouncing the Rong Family… is everything they say true?”

‘When the Emperor wanted to deal with someone, the charges were always drawn up to fit.’

‘He didn’t even have to trouble himself with the details; there were always sycophantic officials eager to read his expression and divine his holy will.’

“Seven or eight out of ten of the accusations are true. But their accomplishments are also real.”

Xie Che wasn’t surprised she had asked this. He sat up straight, observing her expression. He thought that with her kind nature, unable to bear seeing good people wronged, she would probably be unable to accept even those one or two false accusations. But to his surprise, Jiang Xian’s expression remained calm. “Since the Emperor is determined to deal with the Rong Family, it must be because their merits can no longer outweigh their crimes. I trust the Emperor’s decision.”

“You don’t doubt me at all?”

“Back in Qingliu Hall, the Emperor never avoided discussing politics in my presence. I know a thing or two about General Rong’s overbearing presence in the imperial court.”

Xie Che breathed a sigh of relief, finally in the mood to smile as he spoke.

“Hearing you say that, a great weight has been lifted from my heart.”

‘The Emperor might not necessarily want his life, but everyone understands the principle that what reaches a peak must fall. General Rong’s power overshadowed the entire court. Unless he could remain that powerful minister forever, a peaceful end would be impossible. He had made too many enemies; for him, losing power meant his life was over.’

‘Besides, Jiang Xian knew he wasn’t a petty man. If he were truly paranoid enough to turn on blameless and meritorious officials, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to repeatedly give Prince Xie assurances, all to coax him out of seclusion just because he admired the man’s talent.’

In truth, Xie Che didn’t care about right or wrong.

The Rong Family had been selling offices and titles and forming cliques for personal gain for a long time. But back then, all the capable military commanders in Yan Chi belonged to General Rong’s faction. The Ministers of Care left behind by the late Emperor, along with various other powers, constrained Xie Che at every turn. So, he had tolerated it, waiting until he had consolidated all power into his own hands before finally starting to deal with this ferocious tiger he had allowed to grow far too bold.