novelcrest Chapter 5442 A Beauty of Unparalleled Charm
Chapter 5442 A Beauty of Unparalleled Charm
Chapter 5442 A Beauty of Unparalleled Charm
Fang Jun feigned hesitation, stammering and muttering, "Your Majesty has misunderstood me. How could I not care about Your Majesty? During these days at sea, I have thought of you every night, tossing and turning in my sleep, unable to find peace..."
"Pfft!"
Empress Su couldn't bear it any longer, so she covered her forehead with her hand and laughed so hard she was shaking.
"Stop, stop, stop! Please stop talking! You're incredibly audacious, saying whatever comes to mind!"
Fang Jun looked innocent and spread his hands, saying, "I thought the Empress liked to hear this, so I went along with what you said... What, the Empress is not satisfied? Then this humble subject can be even bolder."
Empress Su said coquettishly, "Shut up! If word gets out that, will we both be able to live?"
Her fair skin glowed with a rosy hue, her eyes sparkled, and her features were exquisitely beautiful. The charm she exuded seemed to imbue the air in the hall with a warm glow...
The beauty of heaven and earth is nothing more than this.
Noticing Fang Jun's intense gaze, Empress Su's rosy face hardened, and she softly reprimanded, "Rude!"
Fang Jun withdrew his gaze, nodded in apology, and said, "This humble subject was so captivated by the Empress's beauty that I lost my composure and stared at her without looking away, thus disrespecting the Empress..."
"Shut up!"
Empress Su could no longer stand it. No matter how intelligent or skillful she was, how could she be a match for a "veteran" like Fang Jun?
She felt that although this man was extremely rude, he somehow managed to stir her heartstrings, as if she had returned to the time when she was a young girl waiting to be married, experiencing the fluttering of her heart...
Empress Su, who had been using herself as bait to maintain the initiative and was very confident in keeping this distance, suddenly became alert. She realized that she might have trapped herself. If she let this ambiguity continue, she might one day be unable to extricate herself and suffer eternal damnation.
Realizing this, she immediately composed herself, her beautiful face losing its smile, her back straight, her demeanor dignified, exuding an aura of sacred inviolability.
She warned, "The agreement between us will always stand, but it can only be fulfilled after the matter is accomplished. Until then, I hope you will not have any unrealistic expectations and will be more mindful of your own conduct."
Seeing her like this, Fang Jun could vaguely guess what she was thinking.
Is it about to break through its defenses?
He couldn't help but laugh and reminded her, "Your Majesty has probably misunderstood. The so-called agreement has always been Your Majesty's one-sided wish, and I have never given a definite answer."
Empress Su was stunned, then flew into a rage: "You shameless!"
What does "one-sided hope" mean?
Am I the one who's been clinging to you and insisting on giving myself to you?
That was on the premise of supporting the crown prince's ascension to the throne!
Fang Jun spread his hands, looking innocent: "Everything should be agreed upon. Once the agreement is made, the contract is established. The so-called 'a promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold' is nothing but empty words. As long as you have the nerve to deny it, who can do anything about it?"
Empress Su gritted her teeth: "You still want the deposit?"
Fang Jun asked expectantly, "Will the Empress give it to me?"
"You're a fool!"
Empress Su cursed angrily.
Footsteps sounded outside the door, and a palace maid quickly entered, bringing in a pot of freshly brewed tea before bowing and leaving.
Fang Jun poured tea from the teapot.
Empress Su picked up her teacup, took a sip of tea to calm her agitated emotions, and looked at Fang Jun, asking, "Although there has been much discussion in the court recently, it is all about 'people from Guanzhong filling the land in Hebei.' The Eastern Palace is calm. Has His Majesty changed his mind and given up the idea of changing the heir?"
Fang Jun also took a sip of tea and shook his head, saying, "How could that be? Although His Majesty's talents are somewhat lacking, his ambitions are very high. He has always been on par with Emperor Taizong, and he is determined to achieve great things to silence those who slander and question him. However, the fact that many court officials firmly supported the Crown Prince last time made His Majesty realize that the Eastern Palace is now growing stronger and its foundation is becoming more stable. It is not easy to depose the Crown Prince and establish a new heir with a single imperial edict. Therefore, he will definitely change course and proceed slowly."
Empress Su sighed with worry: "How did things come to this?"
Throughout history, why have emperors always been wary of their crown princes?
Because the crown prince is the one closest to the throne, once his foundation is solid and his power is fully developed, he can challenge for the throne at any time.
The bond between father and son is as unreliable as a sandcastle in the face of the ultimate power; the authorities will stop at nothing to stop them, including detaining, coercing, and even poisoning.
Don't assume that just because all the court officials are shouting about benevolence and morality, they will oppose or criticize this kind of thing. "The merit of following the emperor" is almost the highest honor in the world, and the benefits that can be obtained are enough to make anyone take risks.
As long as you succeed, who cares what methods you used?
The Xuanwu Gate Incident serves as a cautionary tale...
However, it is not good for the crown prince to have no foundation at all, as he is always at risk of being deposed. Once the crown prince is deposed, it almost means the extinction of the empress, the crown prince, the entire empress's family, and the crown prince's bloodline.
Therefore, the position of Crown Prince is considered the most dangerous and difficult in the world.
Being too strong is not good, as it may arouse the emperor's suspicion and cause danger out of nowhere.
Being weak is also unacceptable; a single imperial edict from the emperor could depose them, leaving them in constant fear...
Fang Jun comforted him, saying, "No matter what, as long as the Left and Right Imperial Guards, the Anxi Army, and the Royal Navy firmly support His Highness the Crown Prince, the position of Crown Prince will be as secure as Mount Tai. In the Tang Dynasty, changing the heir apparent is not only a matter for the royal family, but also a matter for the whole country. Even Emperor Taizong, who had such high prestige, could not do whatever he wanted in the matter of the succession, let alone Your Majesty?"
Whether it's the emperor, the crown prince, or even the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, every official position and every post is related to certain interests, and any change means a shift in those interests.
In this feast of interests, one's stance is equivalent to one's interests. Every official position and every post naturally has a large following. Whether it's fame, profit, or power, those with the same stance have their interests tied together. They want to both demand benefits from higher levels and protect the benefits they already have.
As emperor, Li Chengqian sought to reclaim the benefits that rightfully belonged to him, and naturally, others followed suit, launching attacks against the Eastern Palace.
Crown Prince Li Xiang also gathered a group of people around him for various interests. In order to protect their own interests, these people dared to fight back even against the emperor, because the greater the risk, the greater the reward.
The world is bustling, all for profit; the world is in turmoil, all for gain.
The succession of the crown prince involves the interests of too many people, whether it's the merit of supporting the emperor or their life's future. It's not that easy.
Empress Su understood this principle: if the Crown Prince's faction had a weak foundation and was insufficient to protect the interests of more people, it would naturally have few supporters and be easily crushed by imperial power. But now, with Fang Jun as a pillar of support, and with Fang Jun's allies firmly standing on the Crown Prince's side, the Eastern Palace was incredibly powerful. Even if His Majesty were to lose his mind and issue an edict to change the heir apparent, the Eastern Palace would not surrender or offer its neck for execution. It was highly likely that a civil war would break out, and a repeat of the "Xuanwu Gate Incident" was not out of the question.
She was just confused because she was worried...
Strangely enough, these principles were clear to her, yet she was still plagued by anxiety and tossing and turning at night.
Now that Fang Jun has recounted it to her, she feels calm and confident.
Ultimately, women are inherently weak and always need a strong man to take charge and support them...
Her beautiful eyes swept over Fang Jun's face, and she said softly, "I understand the current situation and have no more worries. Grand Commandant, please step down."
Fang Jun was taken aback: "What about the deposit?"
Empress Su's beautiful eyes widened: "What deposit?"
"Didn't the Empress just say that she wanted to pay a deposit in advance?"
When did I say that?
"Tsk tsk, Your Majesty, your mouth is truly deadly."
"How dare you, Grand Commandant! How dare you be so disrespectful!"
"It was just talk, how is that rude? The Empress probably doesn't know what 'rudeness' means, but I might as well demonstrate the real 'rudeness' for you."
As he spoke, Fang Jun suddenly stood up and leaned over the coffee table.
"oops!"
Empress Su was caught off guard when she saw the face suddenly approaching. She cried out in surprise, her upper body jerking back, her cherry lips slightly parted, and her eyes filled with panic.
"Ha ha!"
Looking at his panicked and disheveled appearance, Fang Jun laughed triumphantly and said, "This humble subject takes his leave."
He bowed respectfully, then turned and left.
Empress Su then realized she had been teased. She spat lightly, her pretty face flushed crimson, her beauty alluring, and her heart pounding like a deer's...
*****
Furong Garden.
Jin Deman struggled to sit up from the bed, reached out and took the robe handed to her by the maid and put it on to hide her graceful back. As soon as her slender feet touched the ground and she put a little pressure on herself, she felt her legs go weak and she staggered. Fortunately, the maid was quick to help her up and prevented her from falling to the ground.
Steadying herself, Jin Deman turned around and glared at her husband, who was grinning on the bed. She rolled her eyes and, with a cold expression, went to the side room to bathe with the help of a maid.
Although she usually obeyed Fang Jun, she was, after all, the former Queen of Silla and had her own dignity. She would never allow such blatant sexual misconduct in broad daylight. However, today, Fang Jun seemed to have been provoked by something. After arriving, he picked her up and threw her onto the bed without saying a word, and began to beat her severely, leaving her weak and begging for mercy.
But she still had to express her dissatisfaction in order to maintain her self-esteem, which was as fragile as the willow branches outside the window.
Fang Jun was quick-witted and naturally sensed Jin Deman's unhappiness and grievances. He also knew why she was like this, and he felt a little regretful that he shouldn't have vented so hastily without considering her feelings. However, he was most skilled at sweet talk. He got up from the bed, naked, and walked into the side room under the maid's blushing face. He jumped into the bathtub, gently and carefully massaged Jin Deman's shoulders, and carefully loosened her hair and washed it with soap.
After bathing, the two nestled together on the chaise lounge by the window. A cool breeze blew and willows swayed outside. Jin Deman turned to look at Fang Jun, who was leisurely drinking tea, and bit her lip, looking slightly shy.
"Why is my lord in such a hurry today? He's acting like a wolf or a tiger, it's too reckless."
Fang Jun naturally refused to admit that he had been traumatized at the East Palace, much less admit that he had almost mistaken Jin Deman for a substitute for the Empress...
"I already have many children, and you have been examined by the physicians and found to be healthy. It seems that the reason you haven't conceived yet is simply due to unforeseen circumstances. So it's just a matter of probability. If nothing unexpected happens, I will not leave Chang'an in the next two years. I will dedicate myself wholeheartedly to helping His Majesty cultivate jade in Lantian and enjoy the beauty of Yanji!"