The Fierce Consort Who Bewitched the Emperor’s Heart

She asked, “Your Majesty, what sort of woman do you like?” Before he could answer, she added, “Your Majesty, it’s all right if you don’t like me. It’s enough that I like you.” For money, she spared no effort to tempt the emperor. In the end, she lost both her innocence and her heart. [Temptation 1] He lifted the porcelain bowl, with soup still smeared along its side. “It’s all my fault,” she said guiltily. Xuan Yuan glanced at the soup on his fingers, finished the bowl, then set it down. Jinsè took his hand and carefully wiped away the soup with an embroidered handkerchief. As she bowed her head, her smooth, fair neck was very close to him, and he could just make out the alluring glimpse of her cleavage. Of course, Jinsè would never tell him that she had deliberately chosen a low-cut robe, with a gauzy outer layer as light as smoke. The more veiled something was, the more enticing it became. The gauze she had chosen today was as thin as a cicada's wing, leaving her lotus-root-white arms clearly visible to him. She had also just bathed, sprinkling “Drunken Reverie” into the water. It made her skin exceptionally smooth and delicate, while giving off a faint, subtle fragrance. It was her favorite scent. [Temptation 2] “As an imperial consort, how can you dress so immodestly? Have you no shame?” Jinsè noticed his anger, but remained in her curtsy, smiling brightly at him. “It’s just the two of us here now, Your Majesty. If we have to follow so many rules even as husband and wife, we’ll miss out on so much fun.” She put special emphasis on the word “fun.” “I thought Your Majesty, like me, disliked boring people.” She leaned into Xuan Yuan’s arms, her expression a mixture of coquettish reproach, complaint, and coyness. Her fair arms circled his neck. Noticing a faint blush rise on his cheeks, Jinsè pouted. “I thought Your Majesty wasn’t going to visit me anymore.” “How can an imperial consort be so shameless?” He grasped her arms and pulled them from his neck. Feeling their jade-like softness in his hands, Xuan Yuan glanced at her legs, exposed to the air, then angrily flung her arms away. He glared at her and strode past. Out of sight, however, his face turned faintly red.