Chapter 247: Attending the Emperor in Bed

Sensing Lu Xingzhou and Shen Tang descending in a wheelchair, Ye Tinglan was stunned. For the first time, she proactively stepped out of her quarters. "Weren't you two fighting a sect-annihilating battle?"

"It's done," Lu Xingzhou replied.

"How long have you been gone? Is that even enough time to travel there and back?"

"From assaulting the mountain to their collective surrender, it took about half an incense stick's time..."

"So you're not going to oversee post-war operations? Like prisoner resettlement and resource inventory? What if someone claims to surrender but then suddenly revolts? What if resources are hidden or embezzled by your subordinates?"

Lu Xingzhou blinked. "Oh, Teacher, you certainly know a lot."

Shen Tang sat on his lap, eyes cast down.

Of course, the Imperial Advisor would know... Although she hadn't been the Imperial Advisor for many years, only since before the war with the demon race ten years ago, she was in the Holy Land before that. Come to think of it, taking over as the Holy Land's master was also around that time. Wait, wasn't that also when Lu Xingzhou went south with others as a child? Anyway, the Imperial Advisor has been in her role for ten years; wouldn't she be clear on these matters? Did he really think she was just an alchemy teacher from a reclusive sect?

"I don't understand," Ye Tinglan stared at Shen Tang expressionlessly. "At the very least, the Sect Master of the Skyfaring Sword Sect should understand better than I do."

Shen Tang didn't dare to lift her head. Usually, she was shameless indoors, and it didn't matter if the Imperial Advisor couldn't see it. But now she was still sitting on Lu Xingzhou's lap, and the Imperial Advisor, who usually never left her room, had come out now...

Lu Xingzhou said, "We should give Hall Master Zhang and the others a little trust, shouldn't we?"

"What about Ah Nuo? Does she also need your trust?"

"Ah Nuo went to search for treasures, or if Teacher wants to translate that as 'messing around,' that's fine too." With that, Lu Xingzhou skillfully wheeled himself through the door and shut it with a "thump."

Ye Tinglan: "..."

I should have dragged you away before this battle. What kind of behavior is this now? A great success, followed by debauched celebration, is that it? Gu Yitang, do you really dare? And in front of me, no less?

Inside, Lu Xingzhou rolled onto the bed, embracing Shen Tang. Shen Tang, a little flustered, pushed his shoulders. "Don't..."

Lu Xingzhou didn't actually press down. Instead, he playfully rubbed her nose and smiled. "Didn't Her Royal Highness ask me to attend to her tonight?"

"I-I just said that..." Shen Tang's face was flushed red. At that moment, she hadn't said it casually; she had genuinely felt he was about to leave and couldn't control her emotions. But upon returning, she ran into the Imperial Advisor blocking the door, whose detached expression held a mix of mockery, admonishment, and disappointment. All her little emotions were stifled; how could she still be in the mood? If she were a man, she would have been intimidated into submission by that single glare.

Lu Xingzhou chuckled, "Your Royal Highness isn't pure-minded. Who said 'attending to' necessarily means *doing* anything? Isn't the original meaning of 'attending to' simply to sleep together?"

Shen Tang: "?"

"Your shoulder is injured; it's not good to exert yourself now." Lu Xingzhou held her as they lay down fully clothed and said softly, "You've been keeping your distance these past few days, so we haven't had a proper night together. Tonight, while they're all out messing around, I want to hold you while you sleep."

"They're out messing around, but your Teacher hasn't gone out. Aren't you going to avoid her?"

"Does Teacher even care about this? Do alchemy academies crack down on early romance? And we're not young anymore."

Shen Tang felt like laughing. The alchemy academy teacher might not bother him, but the Imperial Advisor would definitely bother *her*. Never mind. Anyway, she hadn't recognized her for the past two days, so everything must have been heard already. What was the point of hiding it for another night? With a "screw it" attitude, Shen Tang also banished the Imperial Advisor's gaze to the back of her mind, adjusted herself into a comfortable position, and nestled motionless in Lu Xingzhou's embrace.

"Xingzhou..."

"Hm?"

"It feels like every time I encounter a critical battle, you're always there. Even when you're in the capital, you manage to rush back at just the right moment." Shen Tang murmured, "What would I have done if you weren't here this time? Two First-Rank cultivators... I could at most take out one..."

"Uh, then you should thank Madam Ye."

"Didn't she also leave the capital because of you...? You still brought her here."

Shen Tang also held back an unspoken thought: the Imperial Advisor's visit this time clearly had an element of observation and assessment. Previously, beyond protecting her life, the Imperial Advisor hadn't revealed any similar intentions. After all, Shen Tang had spent most of her time in the Skyfaring Sword Sect and rarely in the capital, so she wasn't familiar with the Imperial Advisor. There was no reason for anyone to choose an unfamiliar prince or princess. The reason she began observing this time was mostly due to Lu Xingzhou putting in a good word. But the results of this observation seemed to be a bit disastrous... Not only was she love-struck, but she even seemed to undermine her chances...

Shen Tang hardly knew how to feel, so she simply buried her head like an ostrich in Lu Xingzhou's arms, too lazy to think further. Let it be what it may.

Lu Xingzhou was saying, "If I weren't here, you wouldn't have chosen such a head-on confrontation. Speaking of which, it reminds me: when I'm not around, you should prioritize cultivation and development. Don't seek the limelight again in the short term."

"I don't like being in the limelight either..."

"You directly challenged a First-Rank cultivator today; aren't you afraid of drawing resentment?"

Shen Tang smiled slightly, not answering. Xingzhou, after all, doesn't understand Father well enough... In truth, it's not the ability to fight above one's rank that causes jealousy. For the Emperor's Ultimate World-Shaking Sutra to allow one to fight above one's rank is only natural in Father's eyes. What he fears is not this, but the speed of cultivation. In Father's eyes, if her other siblings cultivated to the same level as Shen Tang, their combat strength would also be similar to Shen Tang's. As for whether he's right about this... Shen Tang couldn't really judge, as she hadn't fought her siblings. Blind overconfidence was inappropriate. Of course, even if Father didn't care about fighting above one's rank, she couldn't be too overtly sharp, so minor injuries had to be exaggerated. She mustn't let him think, "I couldn't even do that at this stage," because then there could be problems.

The emperor's heart is hard to fathom, but not entirely unfathomable. Seeing Shen Tang's expression, Lu Xingzhou knew she had her own ideas, so he said, "You should also have your own opinions. I won't say much more, but Tangtang..."

"Hm?"

"In the future, for any major decisions that could trigger a crisis, it would be best to discuss them with me."

Shen Tang cautiously glanced at him. "Are you angry?"

"Not really. I just worry about things getting out of hand and feeling uncertain. At least if I know beforehand, I'll have a better grasp of things."

"Don't be angry. My blood was boiling at the time, you know... Our Emperor's Ultimate World-Shaking Sutra isn't exactly a 'good' cultivation method..."

Lu Xingzhou couldn't help but laugh. He wasn't truly angry. His self-assigned role had always been supportive; he had no ambition to be the boss, so why would he need to make all decisions? Back when Yuan Muyu was making all the dictatorial decisions, that was more normal. Shen Tang was already quite love-struck... In the end, he simply said, "You're aiming to be a monarch; you should naturally make more of your own decisions."

"Then... for someone who aims to be a monarch, serving you... would that be alright?"

Lu Xingzhou: "?"

"It was I who asked you to attend to me tonight... If I attend to you, that's also 'attending to,' isn't it...? You're about to leave..."

As Shen Tang spoke, she slowly unbuttoned his clothes, lightly tracing his chest with her tongue, her large, moist eyes gazing up at him, as if asking if he was comfortable like this.

Lu Xingzhou encouragingly stroked her head. Shen Tang, however, misunderstood, her pretty face flushing even deeper as she slowly moved downwards.

Lu Xingzhou: "?"

It wasn't until the "boat" glided into the "water" that Lu Xingzhou realized what Shen Tang was doing. Watching her shy yet earnest efforts, his feelings were a little complicated. Although Pei Chuyun had done this many times before... the education of the Joyful Sect didn't emphasize modesty. But what kind of education had Shen Tang received? Royal education, swordsman education—both instilled pride. Yet, at this moment, having just completely defeated her opponents, destroyed a sect, and established dominance over Xia State—a peak in her life—she so proactively humbled herself to serve him.

It was as if she was saying, in front of you, there is no Sect Master or monarch. Only a lover.

After an unknown period, Shen Tang wiped her mouth and leaned back into his shoulder, a hint of complaint in her voice, "Why are you lasting longer now than before? My shoulder injury is starting to ache."

"Uh... my body tempering has strengthened, so naturally, this will also be a bit stronger..."

"It's not good at all."

"Trust me, you'll eventually find that it's still not long enough."

"Pfft." Shen Tang sighed softly, "I still... don't dare right now."

Lu Xingzhou hummed in acknowledgment and said nothing. Shen Tang whispered, "I'll work hard... The spiritual energy in Xia State is becoming richer. Combined with our secret realm, I'll strive to reach Second-Rank within this year." No matter what Gu Zhanting thinks or how circumstances change in the future, her own strength is the most important. If she could quickly reach First-Rank, perhaps even Gu Zhanting's thoughts would change?

"I'll also work hard," Lu Xingzhou whispered. "At least in alchemy, I can already be considered a Third-Rank alchemist. Perhaps after this trial, I'll be able to refine Second-Rank pills." If he were a First-Rank alchemist, like Qin Zhiyu, his status in Great Qian would be no joke; even Gu Zhanting would have to give him full respect.

The young couple in love were diligently envisioning their future plans, but in the adjacent room, Ye Tinglan felt increasingly uneasy as she listened. She had initially been relieved not to hear any explicit sounds. Hearing just a couple of lines about "strong" or "long enough" was already better than their previous crude language. One wanting to reach Second-Rank in martial arts, the other aiming for Second-Rank alchemist — both sounded quite reassuring... But the more she pondered, the more it felt like their cultivation goal was merely to get into bed?

Would your Gu clan's founding ancestors know that their descendants were cultivating for this reason? And that disciple! If I had known you were learning alchemy for *this*, I wouldn't have cherished your talent for a second!

Ye Tinglan's chest ached with anger when she heard Shen Tang say, "Are you two leaving tomorrow?"

"Yes, Madam Ye doesn't want to stay long. But if I insisted on staying a few more days, I could still find an excuse..."

Ye Tinglan: "..."

"No need to force it," Shen Tang said. "Just as you went to the capital for our future, this trial is the same. I won't indulge in momentary pleasures. However..."

"Hm?"

"You went to the capital and came back with a Pei Chuyun. Who else will you acquire after leaving this time?"

"That's unfair! I have Teacher with me this time; who else could I possibly acquire?"

Shen Tang almost said, "It's *your* teacher I'm afraid of. Don't think I haven't noticed the weird look in your eyes. How many heads does the Imperial Advisor have to dare to 'seduce' you?" But the words died on her lips; the Imperial Advisor was listening... After holding it in for a long time, she could only say resentfully, "No matter what, I'm going to drain you dry first, to see if you have any energy left to flirt around."

"Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing? We just finished one round..."

"You're already done? If you can't even do this, how can you claim to 'embrace all' and rely on just once a night?"

"I'll be damned..."

A small hand gently clasped, and the "boat" lying across the "deck" was once again erected, slowly swaying.

Until dawn, Ye Tinglan could still hear the faint murmurs from next door: "Xingzhou... I really don't want you to leave..."

Lu Xingzhou seemed to have lost even the strength to reply, unsure of what he had endured.