237: Chapter 236 Be my imperial consort? No, I am your man.

The wide Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon Robe was spread casually on the ground, like a peony in full bloom on a Golden Terrace.

Wu Mingkong leaned in Xu Chen's arms, her long hair cascading like a waterfall, covering most of her snowy white back.

Her phoenix eyes, which were originally majestic and cold, were now like water-soaked obsidian, misty and filled with an unprecedented softness and laziness.

Xu Chen held her smooth shoulder with one hand and played with a strand of her black hair with the other, looking relaxed.

"Husband..."

Wu Mingkong called out softly, her voice still carrying the hoarseness from the pleasure just now.

She was becoming more and more accustomed to using this form of address.

Perhaps it was because her heart and body had completely surrendered, or perhaps because her so-called imperial dignity had long since shattered before this man, making it unnecessary to keep up appearances anymore.

"Hmm?" Xu Chen lowered his head and kissed her smooth forehead, "What's wrong? You want more?"

"Get lost!"

Wu Mingkong punched him in the chest in shy annoyance. Although she didn't have much strength, she still had to maintain her attitude, "I wanted to talk about... serious business."

"Serious business?"

Xu Chen raised an eyebrow, "Wasn't what we were doing just now serious business?"

Wu Mingkong rolled her eyes, too lazy to pay attention to this fellow whose head was full of trash.

She took a deep breath and tried her best to look like an Empress, though currently being stark naked, she really didn't have much deterrent power.

"I'm talking about the matters of Great Xia."

She sat up a bit straighter, her expression turning serious, "Since I've awakened, I must retake control of Great Xia's territory. This isn't just for myself, but for the billions of common people."

"Naturally," Xu Chen nodded, "You are the Empress; the empire was yours to begin with."

"But..."

Wu Mingkong's tone shifted, and she looked at Xu Chen with burning eyes, "Your current status is very awkward."

"Awkward?"

Xu Chen became interested, "How is it awkward?"

"You are my savior, and also my... that kind of man." Wu Mingkong's face turned red, quickly skipping over that word, "If I bring you out like this, it will inevitably cause a shock in the court and among the public. Those old fogies will definitely use your status as a talking point, calling you a male favorite, or even a rebellious official."

"So?" Xu Chen looked at her with a half-smile.

"So, I want to give you an official status."

Wu Mingkong took a deep breath, as if she had made a major decision, "I want to appoint you as the Imperial Husband."

"Imperial Husband?"

Xu Chen was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"That's right, Imperial Husband."

Wu Mingkong thought he didn't understand and quickly explained, "This is the highest honor I can give you. As the Imperial Husband, you can stand on equal footing with me and enjoy imperial treatment. Except for not being allowed to interfere in state affairs, you will have all privileges in Great Xia. And..."

She paused, a shy blush appearing on her face, "And this way, our relationship will be legitimate. No one will dare to gossip about you."

In her view, this was the best arrangement.

She was the Empress, the ruler of a nation.

No matter how much she liked this man, she couldn't give up her empire for him and be just a small woman.

Letting him be the Imperial Husband preserved her throne and gave him enough dignity; it was simply the best of both worlds.

"Imperial Husband, huh..."

Xu Chen stroked his chin, the smile on his face gradually fading, "It sounds nice. Below one person, above ten thousand, with an Empress wife supporting me—it's basically the peak of living off a woman."

"If you agree..." A flash of joy appeared in Wu Mingkong's eyes.

"I don't agree."

Xu Chen calmly interrupted her.

"Wha... what?"

Wu Mingkong was stunned, thinking she had misheard, "You don't agree? Why? This is something so many people could never hope to get..."

"Wu Mingkong."

Xu Chen suddenly interrupted her, reaching out to pinch her chin, forcing her to look directly into his eyes.

"Have you misunderstood something?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable dominance.

"What thing?" Wu Mingkong felt a bit uneasy under his gaze.

"I saved you and slept with you because I took a liking to you as a person, not because I wanted your broken throne."

Xu Chen said word by word, "In my eyes, the so-called Imperial Husband is nothing more than an Empress's appendage, a slightly higher-class male favorite. Do you think I, Xu Chen, would be someone else's appendage?"

"But... but I am the Empress!"

Wu Mingkong became anxious, "This is my responsibility and my destiny. I can't give up the throne for you and wander the world. If you aren't the Imperial Husband, how can we be together? Do you want me to hide you in the inner palace as a hidden gigolo?"

"Who said I'm going to be a gigolo?"

Xu Chen released her chin and stood up.

He wasn't wearing clothes, standing there with a bare upper body in front of the Dragon Throne, looking down at Wu Mingkong. Although he wasn't wearing a dragon robe, at that moment, the aura on him was actually a hundred times stronger than Wu Mingkong in her robe.

It was a confidence and pride that came from the depths of his soul.

"Wu Mingkong, listen to me carefully."

Xu Chen pointed at the magnificent hall, his voice like a great bell, making the hall hum and vibrate.

"This empire might be heavier than Mount Tai in your eyes, but in my eyes, it's just passing clouds."

"If I wanted to, let alone this tiny Great Xia, I could conquer the entire Central Province, the entire world!"

"So, put away your tricks of ruler and subject, of status and hierarchy."

He leaned down again, his hands bracing on either side of Wu Mingkong, trapping her firmly in his embrace, with the flames of conquest burning in his eyes.

"Remember this."

"You are my woman, not I your subject."

"In this family, only I have the final say. Even if you are an Empress who rules the world outside, in front of me, you can only be an obedient little woman."

"This is my rule."

Wu Mingkong was completely dazed.

She looked at the man before her who was unreasonably domineering, and a storm surged in her heart.

If it were before, if anyone dared to say such things to her, she would have absolutely slapped them into meat paste.

But now, facing Xu Chen's arrogant declaration, she couldn't feel a trace of anger.

Instead... there was a strange heartbeat.

It was the pleasure of being conquered.

It was also the sense of security from finding someone she could truly rely on.

She had held on for too long.

Thousands of years ago, she had always armed herself like an iron person, carrying this crumbling empire forward with difficulty.

She was tired, truly tired.

And now, finally, a man stood up and told her: Don't be afraid, I'll hold up the sky if it falls. You just need to be my woman.

This feeling made her hard heart melt completely.

"You... you domineering bastard."

She bit her lip, her eyes turning slightly red, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up, "Aren't you afraid those ministers will curse you for being rebellious?"

"Curse me?"

Xu Chen sneered disdainfully, "Whoever dares to curse me, I will exterminate their entire clan. In this world, no one can make me suffer an injustice."

"Furthermore..."

He reached out and scratched Wu Mingkong's nose, his eyes full of doting, "With you as the Empress, who would dare curse your man?"

"Hmph, I don't care about you."

Wu Mingkong turned her head away proudly, but her body honestly leaned into Xu Chen's embrace, "If someone curses you, you brought it on yourself."

"Yes, yes, I brought it on myself."

Xu Chen laughed and held her tight.

"Alright, since we've settled this, it's time for serious business."

Xu Chen patted her buttocks, signaling her to get up, "We can't just keep talking here naked, can we? If Mo Han and the others come in and see, what will happen to your face as the Empress?"

"Ah!"

Wu Mingkong finally realized her current state, her face immediately turning red with shame as she hurriedly grabbed the dragon robe from the floor to put it on.

"It's all your fault! You wrinkled my dragon robe!"

She complained softly while putting on her clothes.

"If it's wrinkled, just change into a new one." Xu Chen nonchalantly took a set of his own white robes from his Storage Ring and put them on, "Anyway, you won't be wearing this dragon robe for much longer."

"What do you mean?" Wu Mingkong's hand paused while buttoning up.

"Literally."

Xu Chen smiled mysteriously without explaining.

This dragon robe was too tight; if her belly got big later, she definitely wouldn't be able to wear it. Of course, he didn't dare say this now, otherwise the newly-comforted Empress would explode again.

A moment later.

The two of them tidied their clothes and hair.

Wu Mingkong put on her Imperial Crown again, regaining her majestic Empress appearance. Only in her originally cold eyes was there a trace of charm that she couldn't hide.

Xu Chen was still dressed in white as pure as snow, looking elegant and poised.

"Let's go, let's go out and see."

Xu Chen took Wu Mingkong's hand and walked toward the hall doors.

"Wait."

Wu Mingkong suddenly pulled him back, asking somewhat hesitantly, "About... them..."

"They are my maidservants, and also my women."

Xu Chen said frankly, "What? Jealous?"

"I am not!"

Wu Mingkong flatly denied it, but her heart felt sour.

However, she also knew that an outstanding man like Xu Chen couldn't possibly have only her by his side.

Moreover, they had followed Xu Chen before her.

If they were to talk about seniority, she, the Empress, might even have to call them 'elder sister.'

Thinking of this, she felt even more depressed.

"Don't worry, they are easy to get along with."

Xu Chen squeezed her palm, "We'll all be family from now on; we should live in harmony."

"Hmph, who's family with them."

Wu Mingkong snorted proudly but didn't say anything more, letting Xu Chen lead her to the hall doors.

Rumble—

The heavy hall doors slowly opened.

Mo Han and Hua Jieyu, who had been guarding the door, immediately looked over.

When they saw the two walking out hand-in-hand, and Wu Mingkong's rosy face and eyes full of spring, the two women exchanged a look, understanding everything in their hearts.

"Congratulations, Young Master! Best wishes, Young Master!"

Hua Jieyu stepped forward giggling, "It seems Young Master's 'medical skills' are indeed brilliant. Not only did you cure Her Majesty's illness, but you also conveniently won Her Majesty's heart."

"You talk too much."

Xu Chen glared at her, but the smile at the corners of his eyes couldn't be hidden.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

Mo Han, on the other hand, bowed formally with a respectful expression.

Looking at these two women with completely different personalities but equal beauty, Wu Mingkong sighed inwardly.

This Xu Chen really has quite the luck with women.

"No need for formalities."

She put on her Empress persona and said calmly, "From now on... we are all on the same side."

This phrase "on the same side" was a indirect admission of their relationship.

Hua Jieyu's eyes lit up, and she immediately took advantage of the situation, affectionately taking Wu Mingkong's arm: "Oh, Empress Sister is so kind! From now on we can just call each other sisters. I know many special skills for serving the Young Master, I'll slowly teach them to you later, Sister."

"Spe... special skills?"

Wu Mingkong was stunned for a moment, not yet reacting.

"Yes, like back massages, playing the flute..." Hua Jieyu smiled ambiguously.

"Ahem!"

Xu Chen quickly coughed twice, interrupting this smutty conversation. If this continued, the little dignity the Empress had just rebuilt would collapse again.

"Alright, stop the chatter."

Xu Chen changed the subject, "Since everyone is here, let's prepare to leave. Although this underground palace is nice, it's not a place to stay forever."

"Yes, Young Master."

The group responded in unison.

Wu Mingkong turned back to take a deep look at this underground palace that had buried her for thousands of years, a trace of complexity flashing in her eyes.