Listening to the system’s bizarrely “helpful” prompt, the Wei King’s Heir paused, puzzled.
Hongfu Temple was a sacred Buddhist sanctuary, home to monks who shaved their heads, fasted, and chanted sutras.
Not a single nun resided here, so where would an “enchanting young woman” come from?
Moreover, Hongfu Temple basked in imperial favor, with courtyards reserved for royal rituals and prayers.
The abbot and monks were paragons of virtue, free from worldly desires, incapable of something as sordid as keeping a mistress.
Suddenly, a possibility flashed through Ji Yanqing’s mind.
While elderly monks, past seventy, had ironclad discipline—and likely lacked the physical capacity for such things—young monks, newly ordained, were different.
Full of vigor, their mortal hearts not yet purified, they might easily succumb to temptation upon seeing a beautiful female patron.
At this thought, Ji Yanqing hesitated no longer, fearing a monk’s lustful lapse could lead to grave sin. He leaped, landing lightly in the courtyard like an autumn goose.
To be clear, this had nothing to do with his preference for mature, elegant women.
His toes touched the ground, and his delicate peach-blossom eyes cautiously scanned the surroundings.
Before him stretched a snow-dusted bamboo grove, its slender leaves cloaked in melting snow, serene and tranquil, punctuated by occasional crisp bird calls.
Ji Yanqing furrowed his brow, a flicker of doubt in his heart. The system’s prompts, though outrageous, had always been reliable at critical moments.
The system’s hints had never led him astray.
Moments later, guided by the principle of “since I’m here,” the Heir followed the path through the snow-dusted bamboo grove…
Ji Yanqing ventured deeper into the secluded path of the courtyard.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the scene opened up. Before him stood three quaint, ancient-style chambers with white walls and black tiles, exuding an antique charm. Delicate copper bells on the eaves chimed crisply in the breeze.
Listening closely, amid the bells’ clear notes, there was another sound.
A sultry, seductive moan reached his ears, suppressed but undeniably laced with a hint of desire.
Ji Yanqing’s face… burst with righteous indignation. Kicking open the door of the central chamber, he shouted in line with his persona, “Villain, release that poor young woman and let me take her place!”
The words fell, and the atmosphere plunged into dead silence.
Looking up, he saw a woman in a phoenix robe, her beauty breathtaking, seated on a cushion. Her inky hair was pinned high, secured with a five-phoenix hairpin symbolizing dawn.
Her snowy neck was long and elegant, her curves statuesque like jade, her slender waist delicate, and her long, glistening legs bare.
Her crystalline toes, perfectly proportioned, were wrapped in black silk, contrasting with her jade-like skin—sensual, alluring, radiating charm. Her suggestive pose and dreamy expression extended an enticing invitation to Ji Yanqing.
The stunning beauty’s radiant allure clashed vividly with the phoenix robe, a symbol of imperial motherhood, stirring a desire to profane the peerless woman before him.
Her slender fingers glistened with water droplets.
The room was so quiet a pin could be heard dropping. The woman’s cloud-like hair tilted askew, her exquisite cheeks flushed with a shy blush, her crimson lips pursed.
A thin sheen of fragrant sweat coated her delicate neck, and her captivating phoenix eyes shimmered with a hazy allure.
If Ji Qingyan’s phoenix eyes sparkled with vivacity and Chu Yingao’s gleamed with aloof pride, then…
The phoenix eyes of the woman in the phoenix robe blended regal dignity with captivating allure, each frown and smile enough to drive men to blissful ruin.
Even Ji Yanqing, who had seen countless beauties, felt a sudden surge of desire.
After a brief silence, the woman in the phoenix robe snapped back to reality. Her enchanting phoenix eyes widened, her luscious red lips parting as if to scream, only for a shadow to swiftly cover her cherry-like mouth.
“Shh… shh…”
The woman struggled fiercely, panic flooding her stunning features. Her black jade heels kicked, sending her skirt swaying, her long, shapely legs wrapped in thin black silk exuding sensual charm.
Ji Yanqing tightly gripped the waist of the phoenix-robed noblewoman, his face pale. From the moment he saw her in the imperial phoenix robe, his body felt as if struck by lightning, wishing he could perish alongside the wretched system.
Beyond being an “enchanting young woman,” the beauty in his arms held a far greater identity.
With Yanxia’s Empress Dowager long deceased, only one woman in the realm was entitled to wear the phoenix robe: the peerless beauty renowned across the Nine Provinces, the reigning Empress—Xiao Qingxi.
A garishly colored virtual panel flashed before Ji Yanqing’s eyes.
[Name: Xiao Qingxi]
[Beauty Score: 99.7 (Crowns the Nine Provinces)]
[After kicking open the chamber door, you find the reigning Empress engaged in self-indulgence. The foremost beauty of the Charm Spectrum, renowned across the Nine Provinces, is caught in such a shameful act. Her marriage to the wretched Emperor must be deeply unhappy, and you have a duty to ease Her Majesty’s burdens…]
[Option 1: To die beneath the peony is to be a romantic ghost. Seize the chance to share a passionate tryst with Empress Xiao. As for the consequences, deal with them later… Completion Reward: Thirty Years…]
[Option 2: Usurping the throne doesn’t always require bloody violence; sometimes sweet love can suffice. Though you may never sit on the throne in this life, you now have a chance to ensure your bloodline becomes Yanxia’s Emperor… Completion Reward: Guaranteed Heir Blessing]
[Option 3: Deceive Xiao Qingxi by claiming you carry a recording stone. If Her Majesty doesn’t want this scandal exposed, she must comply with your beastly Heir’s outrageous demands… Completion Reward: Poison Immunity]
Wretched system, you actually knew she’s the reigning Empress Xiao Qingxi? I thought you didn’t have a clue!
Caught in such a perilous situation, even the refined Ji Yanqing couldn’t help but curse inwardly. The woman in his arms was the Empress of Yanxia.
If the Emperor caught wind of this, a hundred heads wouldn’t be enough to save him.
[Host, forget danger—how thrilling is this?]
If Ji Yanqing weren’t busy soothing the Empress, his next words would likely be censored, sounding like an impromptu rap battle.
“Shh—Your Majesty, don’t be afraid. I mean no harm,” he whispered.
“Shh… shh…”
The Empress’s curvaceous figure was tightly held by the audacious scoundrel behind her. Her sensual black-silk legs fell prey to his grasp, escape impossible.
The more she struggled, the more excited this beastly scum would likely become.
Xiao Qingxi calmed, slightly nodding her head, feigning compliance to lower the beast’s guard, biding her time to flee and call for help.
At that moment, Qian Yuan Realm shadow guards stood just outside the courtyard…
Damn it, she had ordered the shadow guards not to enter, no matter the disturbance.
Xiao Qingxi glanced back, seeing the ink-robed youth’s striking beauty—sharp sword-like brows, bewitching eyes, and pristine teeth. This wasn’t some lewd thief; this was a calamity-inducing demon.
For years, Xiao Qingxi had lived in seclusion in the deep palace. In seven years of marriage, the Emperor hadn’t visited her once. Let alone a breathtaking male demon like this, she’d barely seen even eunuchs.
At this moment, her captivating phoenix eyes betrayed a trace of enchantment.
Suddenly, Xiao Qingxi felt the “thief” looked vaguely familiar.
Wait… she’d seen this face somewhere before… but she couldn’t place it.