The pastries Ye Jingchuan forced into Ye Chutang’s mouth all vanished into her spatial storage.
By the third bite, Ye Chutang pretended to succumb to the poison.
Her face turned deathly pale, beads of sweat the size of peas breaking out across her forehead, her robes soon drenched in cold sweat.
Her body trembled uncontrollably, as if thousands of venomous ants were gnawing at her flesh.
"It hurts—save me!" she whimpered.
The emperor burst into laughter at her pleas, his face quivering with amusement.
"Already surrendering? Weren’t you so fearless, so unafraid of death?"
Ye Chutang sobbed, "It hurts so much—I was wrong, please give me the antidote."
The emperor glanced at Eunuch De, who released Ye Chutang and fed her a black pill.
"Miss Ye, as long as you behave, you’ll receive the antidote. Otherwise, your meridians will rupture, and you’ll die in agony. As a martial artist, you know exactly how painful that would be."
Ye Chutang collapsed like a limp rag on the floor.
At his words, her body shook even harder with terror.
"I’ll obey—don’t kill me," she whispered weakly before turning her gaze to the emperor.
"Your Majesty went to such lengths to deal with me… Why?"
At this moment, she looked like a fragile beauty, pitiable enough to melt hearts.
The emperor’s desire flared, a savage urge to claim her surging within him.
Gripping her exquisite face, his eyes darkened with lust.
"Do one thing for me, and I’ll make you my consort—granting you a lifetime of luxury!"
The declaration stunned both Ye Jingchuan and Prince An.
But after the initial shock, it made sense.
The emperor was lustful and had once adored Tang Wanning—taking her daughter as his own was only natural.
Ye Jingchuan’s grin nearly split his face.
"Chu’er, His Majesty’s favor is a blessing. Hurry and thank him."
With this, his marquis title was secured for good!
Even if Ye Chutang suppressed her disgust, she couldn’t bring herself to offer herself willingly.
The emperor had many women, some taken by force.
He knew exactly how to break the defiant ones.
No matter how fierce, a few nights in his bed would tame them into docile kittens.
With that thought, he turned to Eunuch De.
"Take her secretly to my chambers."
Ye Chutang was still a pawn to be used against Qi Yanzhou—her status as the emperor’s woman couldn’t be revealed yet.
"As Your Majesty commands."
Eunuch De led Ye Chutang away.
The emperor addressed Prince An and Ye Jingchuan, "Stay for dinner at the Hall of Diligent Governance. I’ll join you shortly."
Ye Jingchuan fawned, "Your Majesty, take your time. This humble official isn’t in a rush to leave."
Pleased, the emperor patted his shoulder.
"Such thoughtfulness, my dear minister."
Then he hurried off to his chambers, eager for his prize.
Ye Chutang lay on the golden imperial bed.
Worried the antidote might restore her strength, Eunuch De force-fed her a muscle-relaxing powder.
"Pleasing His Majesty will spare your life and earn you comfort. Resist, and you’ll regret it."
Ye Chutang stayed silent, her expression stubbornly defiant.
Playing too eager would seem suspicious.
The emperor arrived swiftly.
Eunuch De reported, "Your Majesty, the girl has been weakened. She’s harmless—enjoy yourself."
The emperor waved him off. "Everyone, out. And keep your mouths shut."
Eunuch De herded the eunuchs and maids away, sealing the chamber doors.
The room dimmed.
The emperor’s throat tightened as he gazed at Ye Chutang, sprawled and vulnerable on the bed. Heat pooled low in his belly.
Since quitting Heavenly Master Zhang’s elixirs, his prowess had waned.
No longer could he bed multiple women in a night—some days, he couldn’t even rise to the occasion!
To hide his shame, he’d choked down those vile pills just to perform for his concubines.
Yet today, without the drugs, desire stirred anew!
Hah! So it wasn’t his body failing—just boredom with his harem!
Ye Chutang averted her eyes as the emperor stripped, barely suppressing her revulsion.
"Beauty, let me cherish you. I’ll have you begging to stay in bed!"
He yanked the bed curtains shut and lunged.
The emperor’s vulgarity nearly made her gag.
Her foot "accidentally" kicked his knee.
Off-balance, he face-planted onto the mattress with a loud smack!
Seizing the moment, Ye Chutang drew silver needles from her spatial storage—three quick jabs to his lower back, swiftly withdrawn.
Instantly, the emperor’s vigor deflated.
Rubbing his bruised forehead, he froze at the sudden… absence.
How?
He’d been rock-hard moments ago!
Panicked, he yanked his pants down.
The shriveled sight horrified him. He scrambled for his remaining pills and swallowed one.
Nothing.
"What’s happening?!"
From behind the curtains, Ye Chutang propped her head up, delighting in his crisis.
Dealing with vile men was her specialty.
This was just a warm-up—soon, the dog emperor would be impotent for life!
He gulped another pill, refusing to accept reality.
In truth, his past stamina came not from Taoist cultivation but from the pills’ obscenely high aphrodisiac doses.
While they’d granted temporary prowess, they’d also ravaged his body.
Now, his abilities matched those of a withered elder.
Ye Chutang’s needles had merely exposed the truth.
By sealing his life-gate acupoint, she’d blocked the pill’s energy from reaching his kidneys—leaving his "little emperor" forever dormant.
The emperor burned with unnatural heat, desperate to douse it with a woman’s touch… yet utterly powerless.
He was losing his mind!
Ye Chutang cooed, "Your Majesty… can’t perform? I know some medicine—shall I examine you?"
Her words slapped him like a physical blow. Humiliation and rage twisted his face.
"Silence!"
"Your Majesty must care for your health. Denying treatment helps no one."
He yanked his pants up, seized her chin, and snarled,
"Are you mocking me?"
