Chapter 223

Chapter 223. Once You Become Empress, No One Will Dare Bully You

No. It would be more accurate to say that Cailin was utterly dumbfounded. She stared at Chu Feng in disbelief.

Her eyes widened as she looked at him blankly. Her mind went completely empty, as if she had been struck by lightning. She could not believe what she had just heard.

Empress?

Had this man truly gone mad?

Although Cailin was not of the Human Race, she understood very clearly what that status meant.

And it was the Empress of the Great Chu Dynasty?

That was the position countless women dreamed of. It was the status of a woman who could stand as the motherly model of the realm, the one who could stand beside the ruler himself.

She would truly be beneath only one person and above ten thousand others.

Was he going to give her such a status so easily?

Cailin could not help wondering whether she had misheard him.

Was she dreaming?

Cailin pinched her palm hard.

It hurt.

It was not a dream.

It was real.

“You... what did you say? This is the Empress of a nation. I have already been criticized like this by your court officials. How could I possibly become the Empress?” Cailin’s voice trembled, as though she thought she had heard wrong.

However, when Chu Feng saw her foolish expression, the smile in his eyes deepened.

He deliberately leaned a little closer, pressing near Cailin’s ear, and slowly repeated each word. “I said I will let you stay and become my Empress. In that case, you will be beneath only one person and above ten thousand others. No one will ever dare to bully you again. Bullying you will be the same as bullying me.”

Chu Feng’s warm breath brushed against her ear, and Cailin’s face flushed at once, turning as red as the burning clouds at the edge of the sky.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, only to discover that she could not speak at all.

In that instant, Cailin only felt her heartbeat speed up rapidly, so fast it seemed as if it might leap out of her throat.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Every beat resounded against her eardrums like a pounding drum.

Empress...

Chu Feng was actually going to make her the Empress...

Ever since she had followed Chu Feng to the Human Race, Cailin had seen how vast the Great Chu Dynasty was. She had always thought that a man like Chu Feng, who was both handsome and powerful, must have countless women who wanted to climb into his Dragon Bed. As for women who wanted to become the Empress, they were surely too numerous to count.

Cailin had even always believed that, at most, she would only be his woman, a woman without proper status, a woman who might be abandoned at any moment. Yet now, Chu Feng had told her clearly that he could make her the Empress of the Great Chu Dynasty.

He could let her become someone who walked side by side with Chu Feng, a woman who stood as the motherly model of the realm, the Cailin of the Great Chu Dynasty.

If she truly became the Empress, then she would no longer need to fear those rumors, those gazes, or being abandoned.

Because the Empress was his legitimate wife.

She was the person who stood beside him, someone no one would dare to touch lightly.

Cailin’s tears once again fell continuously like pearls from a broken string. This time, they were not born of grievance, fear, or confusion. They were filled entirely with emotion.

She was shaken.

To be honest, this was a feeling Cailin had never experienced before—the feeling of being cherished, being valued, and being placed at the very tip of someone’s heart. Even when she had been among the Ancient Royal Clan before, Cailin had never received such treatment.

At that moment, Cailin suddenly remembered something her mother had said to her when she was young.

“Child, one day, there will be someone who holds you in the palm of his hand and protects you completely. You must meet a man who keeps you in his heart and in his hands. Only then can you entrust him with your Seven-Colored Spiritual Aura.”

Back then, Cailin had only nodded in vague confusion.

Now, she understood.

That person was the man before her eyes.

This man who seemed domineering, yet was actually extremely gentle.

This insincere man. This man who was willing to stand against the whole world for her sake.

“Are... are you serious? You cannot joke about something like this. Do you know how serious this matter is?” she asked through her sobs. Her voice trembled, carrying uncertainty and a cautious, fragile expectation.

Chu Feng raised an eyebrow. The corner of his mouth curved into an arrogant arc, and a trace of disdain flashed through his eyes. “When have I ever made such a joke?”

Cailin looked at him. She looked into his deep Chaos Dual Pupils and at her own reflection within them.

Inside those eyes, there was only one tiny version of her—whole, cherished, and treasured.

“The entire Great Chu Dynasty belongs to me. Whoever I want to make Empress will naturally become the Empress. Those people merely assist me. As for whether their suggestions are adopted, that depends entirely on me alone. So how could I possibly joke with you about something like this? Besides, if giving you this status can make you stay with peace of mind and live the rest of your life happily, then that is the most precious thing to me.”

Cailin had not expected Chu Feng to be so eloquent. More importantly, every word that fell upon her heart left her incomparably shaken and moved.

Suddenly, Cailin threw herself into Chu Feng’s arms and burst into loud sobs.

This time, she truly cried aloud.

During this period, Cailin had felt that she had suppressed herself for far too long. She had constantly held back her emotions, and at this moment, it was as if she could finally release them all without restraint and without caution.

Her cries echoed through the silent night, startling the birds in the distant trees and drawing out a chorus of caws.

Cailin cried so loudly and so freely, as though she wanted to pour out every grievance, every fear, and every trace of unease she had suffered during these days.

The sound of her crying also made Chu Feng’s heart ache.

Chu Feng held her and gently patted her back without saying anything. He knew very well that she had suppressed herself for too long and needed this cry.

She needed to vent all the words and tears she had kept buried in her heart during this period.

The night wind blew past, stirring their sleeves. The drifting darkness seemed like a hand gently brushing Cailin’s face, and the moonlight spilled down, merging their figures into one.

As Cailin continued to cry, Chu Feng did not urge her in any way. Only after an unknown length of time did Cailin’s sobs gradually stop.

Cailin remained buried in Chu Feng’s embrace. She raised her head slightly, looked into Chu Feng’s bright eyes, and asked in a muffled voice, “Are you... are you truly not afraid that others will gossip? What if all those court officials oppose this decision?”

Chu Feng snorted softly, his voice filled with disdain. “Who would dare?”

“But... those ministers... what if those ministers object?”

“Whoever dares to speak will suffer the Extermination of Nine Clans. Once I make a decision, from ancient times until now, no one has ever dared to oppose me. Those people are not worthy of opposing me either.” Chu Feng’s voice was calm, yet it carried unquestionable killing intent.

“But... the common people... There are so many common people. You cannot simply ignore their feelings, can you?” Cailin still felt deeply uneasy.