Transmigrating into a book, seducing him to rise to power

Day two.

Jun Zechen slowly woke up. The woman in his arms, who had her back to him, was still fast asleep. He had been using her hand as a pillow for a long time, but he did not feel numbness.

He gently embraced her, his gaze falling on her fair, jade-like back, where clearly visible teeth marks were visible.

Jun Zechen gently brushed his slender fingertips over the marks, his eyes filled with emotions as complex and enigmatic as a deep lake.

Is it too easy to forgive her so easily?

He is the ruler of the world, revered by all, so why is he so soft-hearted towards her?

These past two days, Jun Zechen's feelings have been extremely complicated. He has even questioned himself again and again: is he really so desperate for her?

He was in the harem, surrounded by beauties, all of whom were obedient to him and tried their best to please him. Why was he so persistent in his love for this woman who was sometimes stubborn and sometimes weak?

Jun Zechen was born as the Empress's legitimate son from a young age, making him the most noble among all the princes. He later became the Crown Prince and eventually ascended the throne, holding a high position and great power. It seemed that he could easily control everything in the world.

Everyone fawned over him and praised him to the skies.

Whether it was the Ling family in the Eastern Palace or the many concubines after his ascension to the throne, Jun Zechen only needed to bestow some treasures upon them and chat with them for a few minutes to make them satisfied and grateful.

But Jun Zechen himself never found true emotional release with these women.

He has always been calm and composed, with stable emotions.

For him, women were merely icing on the cake; they were enough to allow him a moment of relaxation after dealing with the heavy burden of state affairs.

However, ever since he met her, Jun Zechen's usually calm heart has been frequently stirred up by turbulent waves.

He rarely experiences such strong emotional fluctuations, or rather, there are very few people and things that truly matter to him.

But her appearance caused his emotions to run wild, like a runaway horse, making them difficult to control.

Jun Zechen was immersed in this unprecedented feeling, as if he were being tortured.

He couldn't understand why her every smile, every gesture, could so deeply move him. Why did her indifference and rejection only make him yearn for her love more?

He found it hard to accept her lack of love; these painful and repressed emotions surged within him, yet he was irrevocably immersed in them, and his longing for her inexplicably grew stronger.

It was a feeling that Jun Zechen could hardly describe in words, like a fog shrouding his heart.

Jun Zechen slowly closed his eyes, and with an almost reverent attitude, gently kissed the red marks on her back.

Since I can't let her go, then I'll keep her by my side forever!

Perhaps her honesty will foster a new and unique form of trust between them.

In the past two years, Jun Zechen has doted on her and let his guard down in front of her, talking about everything. He doesn't think there is any other woman who can make him open his heart like this. They have been honest and clear with each other, and their relationship will only get better in the future.

A tingling, numbing sensation spread through Su Jingyao's entire body like an electric current. Her body trembled involuntarily, and her brows furrowed slightly, as if she were struggling to wake up from her dream.

Jun Zechen sensed her subtle movements, and the kisses not only showed no signs of stopping, but instead became even more passionate and intense.

He held her slender waist even tighter, as if trying to embed her into his own body.

Su Jingyao was finally awakened by his gentle yet passionate kiss.

The moist, soft touch made her instinctively flinch, then she turned around gracefully, her arms wrapping around the man's strong waist like a snake. "Why is Your Majesty still here today?"

Wasn't he tired last night? Why didn't he take a break this morning?

There will be no morning court session today.

"I'll stay with you for a while, then I'll go to the Imperial Study to review the memorials."

Su Jingyao nodded slightly.

She then asked softly, "Does Your Majesty have a headache?" Her tone was filled with concern, and she gently massaged his temples with her small hand.

He drank so much last night and worked so hard for so long, yet he woke up so early. Is his body made of iron?

The moment Jun Zechen's eyes met hers, which were full of concern, his heart felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer, and he trembled violently.

He suddenly realized that there might not have been no reason why he had been deceived by her over the years.

Her constant care, her timely and profound comfort when he was worried, and her unexpected hugs and kisses when they were alone—each one was like a blazing flame that could ignite his heart.

Furthermore, she always had the keen ability to capture his hidden thoughts deep within his heart. Their conversations were like a resonance of souls. They had discussed poetry and songs together. She was his equally matched chess partner, and they had also talked about the state of the world. Every exchange was like a spiritual feast, which he was completely immersed in.

The tender look in her eyes that she inadvertently revealed, the birthday gift she carefully prepared for him, the painting she drew for him—every stroke was filled with deep affection...

Over the past few years, countless incidents and events have occurred.

Looking back now, Jun Zechen felt as if he were in a long and beautiful dream.

Even though Jun Zechen knows in his heart that this may just be her pretense, he still can't help but feel his heartstrings tremble slightly because of her concern.

"Does Yao Yao truly care about me?" His voice carried a mixture of trepidation and anticipation.

"Is Your Majesty going to question every single thing I do from now on?" Su Jingyao asked coquettishly, her eyes full of grievance.

"Whether it's true or not, I'll feel comforted by Yao Yao's concern."

She has put so much effort into him, always paying attention to his emotions. Shouldn't he be the one to truly feel whether she loves him or not?

Perhaps she herself didn't even realize that she had already fallen in love with him?

He's just being stubborn.

Su Jingyao was fairly satisfied with his answer, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, revealing a faint smile.

It's all a mix of truth and falsehood. She's not a robot; can she really act forever? After spending several years together, anyone would develop feelings for her.

After waking up, the two cuddled for a while. Su Jingyao nestled shyly in Jun Zechen's arms, while Jun Zechen gently stroked her hair, his eyes full of tenderness.

After Su Jingyao had breakfast with Jun Zechen, Jun Zechen got up and went to the Imperial Study to review memorials.

She was finally able to leave Qianqing Palace and return to Kunning Palace surrounded by palace maids.

Not long after he returned, Consort Xian arrived.

She was followed by several palace maids, each carrying a gift.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects."

Consort Xian wore a flattering smile and gave a slight curtsy.

"Get up." Su Jingyao raised her hand slightly, her expression calm.

After Consort Xian sat down, a sensible palace maid immediately brought her hot tea, her movements practiced and efficient.

Su Jingyao sat on the phoenix chair, her gaze calm as she looked at Consort Xian, and asked indifferently, "Why has Consort Xian come to my palace today?"

"These past two days, I have sent palace maids to Kunning Palace to inquire whether Your Majesty is free, but each time I came I heard that Your Majesty was in Qianqing Palace. Now that I have finally seen that Your Majesty has returned to Kunning Palace, I immediately came to thank Your Majesty."

"I know that I was able to be restored to my post because of Your Majesty's help," Consort Xian said, her eyes filled with gratitude.

Consort Xian restrained her usual arrogance in front of Su Jingyao, adopting an extremely humble posture.

"You were framed by Consort Xu and wronged. Now the truth has come out. I just felt that Consort Chu's poisoning was very strange, so I asked His Majesty to investigate."

Su Jingyao picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and spoke in a calm tone.

Consort Xian was well aware of her importance to His Majesty. If it weren't for the Empress's intervention, His Majesty would probably have just gone along with the mistake and wouldn't have cared about her at all.

Now that the truth is out and the Third Prince has returned, everyone in the harem knows she is the Empress's person, so naturally they must make it a reality and prevent others from harming her easily again.

"However, Consort Xian, your Zhongcui Palace needs a good overhaul. How could the palace of one of the Four Consorts be framed?"

Consort Xian felt somewhat embarrassed. She had underestimated the women in the harem when it came to the matter of Consort Chu. However, Consort Xian never expected that Consort Yan, who was born out of wedlock, and Consort Xu, who came from an obscure family, would dare to plot against a concubine and frame her.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I failed to properly discipline the palace servants; it is my fault."

Then Consort Xian continued, "Your Majesty, although His Majesty punished Consort Xu this time, Consort Xu and Consort Yan were close in the past. I believe Consort Yan must have been involved in this matter as well. What are Your Majesty's plans for her?"

Consort Xian frowned slightly and asked with concern.

Su Jingyao took a sip of tea, her eyelashes drooping slightly, concealing the thoughts in her eyes.

Although Consort Yan was not as clever as Consort Xu, she was lucky. Every time something happened, someone would take the blame for her, while she herself could clear her name completely.

Su Jingyao remembered that her palace dress was poisoned, and that was also Yan Zhaoyi's doing.

"She's just a Zhaoyi (a high-ranking concubine), while you're one of the Four Consorts. Do you expect me to make decisions for everyone?"

Su Jingyao raised her eyebrows slightly, put down her teacup, and looked somewhat displeased.

She didn't want to get her hands dirty. As the Empress, she naturally had to be considerate and magnanimous towards her concubines. Now that Jun Zechen favored her exclusively, she couldn't allow the court officials to find any fault with her.

If Consort Yan becomes obedient later on, it wouldn't be a problem to let her live a good life in the harem.

Upon hearing the Empress's instructions, Consort Xian couldn't help but smile smugly.

She hadn't forgotten how arrogant Consort Yan had been when she first came to her palace, her chin held high and her eyes full of contempt.

Now that fortunes have turned, she's naturally going to retaliate fiercely.

Since the Empress has tacitly approved of her actions, Consort Xian should naturally repay Consort Yan for what she did back then.

They ruthlessly cut her allowance, causing her endless grievances, and then, naturally, they had to return the money in full!

How dare a mere concubine's daughter make her submit and act like a servant? This debt must be settled properly.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will take good care of Consort Yan, and I will certainly not let Consort Xu in the Cold Palace go either," Consort Xian said through gritted teeth.

"Well, I won't concern myself with what happens to Consort Xu, but Consort Yan is, after all, the daughter of the Grand Master of Ceremonies. Although she is a concubine's daughter, the Yan family has been quite attentive to her since she gave birth to a prince. Don't go too far," Su Jingyao advised.

The Yan family has now formed a marriage alliance with the Chu family. Logically, Jun Zechen should not like his subjects having too close a relationship, but he has not objected.

Su Jingyao could vaguely guess Jun Zechen's thoughts.

He has always been strict with Xingxing, but strictness is not enough. The princes in the palace are all around the same age. When the princes grow up and enter the court, the seventh prince, who has the support of the Yan and Chu families, may become Xingxing's greatest enemy.

Thinking of this, Su Jingyao's eyes became even more profound, her gaze filled with contemplation.

But... it will also be a sharpening tool for the stars.

Therefore, Jun Zechen allowed the marriage between the Yan and Chu families, and Consort Yan was unharmed during the poisoning of Consort Chu, which may also be due to Jun Zechen deliberately letting things slide.

Since that's the case, Su Jingyao naturally didn't intend to completely destroy Consort Yan, but she would certainly want Consort Xian to make things difficult for Consort Yan.

She pursed her lips slightly, already having made up her mind.