Chapter 118: I Want You to Be My Empress (4000)

Before continuing on their journey, Mo Yan handed his personal token to Zi Mou, instructing him to return to the Imperial City as quickly as possible. He was to seek an immediate audience with the Emperor to report the general situation, allowing the throne to prepare accordingly.

Only after Zi Mou’s figure vanished into the night did Mo Yan exhale in relief and climb into the carriage.

Jin’er carefully removed his garments to re-bandage his wounds. "If you continue to disregard your own body like this, these wounds will leave lasting damage." As she applied the medicine, her brows furrowed in distress at the sight of his mangled, blood-soaked injuries.

Mo Yan offered a weak smile. "Does it ache for me?"

Jin’er’s heart tightened, but she remained silent, busying herself with the bandages, secretly irked by his nonchalant attitude.

Seeing that she would neither speak nor look at him, Mo Yan chuckled softly. He reached out to gently stroke the smooth, long hair cascading down her back, his eyes overflowing with tenderness and affection.

***

Early the next morning, Empress Chen was still in a deep slumber when she heard the faint sounds of an argument outside. Frowning, she summoned her personal maid, only to be told that Wang Lin was requesting an urgent audience. An ominous premonition stirred in her heart; she hurriedly rose, performed a quick wash, dressed, and proceeded to the outer hall.

"Your Majesty!" Wang Lin, his face deathly pale, collapsed to his knees the moment he saw Empress Chen, his body trembling slightly.

"Where is the Crown Prince?!" Seeing his state, Empress Chen’s heart sank; she rushed forward in a panic.

"Last night, your subordinate had already rescued the Prince, but... but a group of men suddenly intercepted us. I seized the cover of darkness to escape at the risk of my life, returning without pause to report to you," Wang Lin said, his voice quivering.

Upon hearing this, Empress Chen staggered, clutching her forehead as she nearly lost her footing. Had it not been for the maid behind her, she would have collapsed to the floor.

A report? What use was a report now?

"It is over... everything is over..." she murmured, her mind reeling, her eyes filled with despair.

She had warned Fan’er time and time again not to leave the palace, not to go in person, but he had refused to listen. *Heh, heh, heh.* Fate—everything was just fate.

Wang Lin and the servants present watched as the Empress began to laugh to herself. They were filled with shock and anxiety, yet no one dared to utter a single word.

Just then, a long, shrill voice drifted from outside: "The Imperial Decree has arrived!" Every servant in the hall scrambled to their knees.

Empress Chen ceased her laughter and slowly turned her head. She saw Head Eunuch De, the Emperor’s trusted attendant, holding the decree, followed by a squad of the Imperial Guard, their presence imposing and stern. With a desolate smile, she slowly knelt. Her eyes were lifeless and dim, devoid of her usual majestic and noble air.

As the decree was read out, clause by clause, the kneeling servants trembled uncontrollably, some even beginning to sob. Wang Lin closed his eyes in despair, no longer listening to the words that followed.

Closing the scroll, Eunuch De gestured with his hand. The Imperial Guards stepped forward and marched everyone from the Empress’s palace away—their destination, the Celestial Prison.

In an instant, the entire imperial palace was thrown into turmoil.

The Empress, the Crown Prince, and the Right Chancellor were stripped of all titles and imprisoned for conspiring to harm the Second Prince and plotting treason. The news flew out of the palace, spreading through the streets and alleys of the Imperial City, and quickly rippling across the entire nation.

In the imperial court, the Fire Emperor was furious, and the gathered officials were stunned, whispering in shock. The Left Chancellor and others praised the Second Prince for his benevolence and love for the people, claiming his escape from such a disaster was a sign of great fortune and heaven’s will.

Countless ministers chimed in. Even those who had previously supported Mo Fan remained silent, terrified of being implicated in the Crown Prince’s downfall.

After a symbolic restoration of order, the Fire Emperor announced the deposition of the Empress and the Crown Prince, naming Mo Yan as the new Crown Prince to ascend the throne in one month. Simultaneously, he highly commended Jin’er for her contributions in curbing the plague and bestowed upon her and Mo Yan a marriage, to be held on the same day as the new Emperor’s coronation.

At this moment, in the Haoyue Palace, Jin’er was in the courtyard preparing various medicinal powders. She was focused on her work, but her mind could not help but drift back to the scene at the palace gate that morning.

She had been half-asleep in the carriage when she heard that they had to switch to a palanquin, which was when she helped Mo Yan disembark.

After her feet touched the ground, she subconsciously looked around, but Lu Ye was nowhere to be seen. A sudden, hollow feeling settled in her heart.

He had left as silently as a shadow, without even a word of farewell. She did not know what she was feeling—only that it felt as if a piece had been carved out of her heart, leaving her deeply uncomfortable.

"Miss! Miss!" As Jin’er stood in a daze, Xiao Die’s voice called out from afar.

Gathering her scattered thoughts, Jin’er turned to look at Xiao Die running toward her and couldn't help but smile. The way she ran was truly endearing.

"M-Miss..." Xiao Die reached her side, eager to speak, but the more anxious she became, the harder it was to find her words. It took her a long time to catch her breath. "C-congratulations, Miss! Next month, you will be marrying the Prince... no, by then, you will be marrying the Emperor!"

"What?" Jin’er was so startled that the porcelain spoon in her hand fell to the ground with a *clatter*, shattering into pieces. "Marrying the Emperor???" Did she hear that right?

"No, no..." Xiao Die seemed to realize she had been misunderstood and hurriedly shook her head and hands to explain. "The Emperor has named the Prince as the Crown Prince, and he will ascend the throne in a month. The wedding will be on the same day, so that is why I said you would be marrying the Emperor." Xiao Die rattled off the details, and Jin’er took them all in.

Her heart, which had been in her throat, finally dropped. But after reflecting on it, that fluttering heart surged back up again.

*The Emperor???* Jin’er’s cherry lips remained wide open. Regardless of which Emperor it was, he was still the Emperor, wasn't he? Dammit, why did Mo Yan suddenly become the Crown Prince? Why hadn't she seen this coming?

Jin’er rolled her eyes, looking toward the heavens in silent resignation. She slumped onto a stone bench, feeling incredibly dejected.

What was she to do? The issue of whether she and Mo Yan were blood relatives hadn't even been resolved yet, so how could they just decree a marriage?

And there was more—previously, she hadn't wanted to marry him because she thought he would only be a Prince. A few days ago, she had finally reasoned that if a Prince had only one wife, perhaps no one would care, and she might consider it.

Now, the Prince had turned into an Emperor. Did she even have a choice?

"Miss, you are about to marry the Prince, and perhaps you will even be the Empress. Why do you look so unhappy?" Seeing Jin’er’s gloomy expression, Xiao Die was deeply puzzled.

Jin’er closed her eyes and rested her chin on her palm, not answering. She pondered what to do next.

Just as Xiao Die was about to ask again, she saw Mo Yan and Eunuch Liu returning and hurriedly retreated to wait on the side.

"Jin’er." Mo Yan approached. Seeing her distracted, he frowned with concern and sat on the bench opposite her. "What is it? What has made you so unhappy?"

Hearing his voice, Jin’er snapped out of her thoughts, looking up to see Mo Yan. Her heart was a swirl of conflicting emotions.

Seeing her silence, Mo Yan signaled for Eunuch Liu and Xiao Die to withdraw. Once they were gone, he pulled Jin’er onto his lap.

Wrapping his arms around her slender waist, he kissed her cheek naturally and asked, "Tell me, what is wrong?"

Jin’er pursed her lips, looked at him, and asked, "You are the Crown Prince now?"

"Heh, the news travels fast. I intended to tell you myself when I returned," Mo Yan said with a laugh, using one hand to toy with a lock of her hair.

"Ascending the throne in a month??"

Mo Yan looked at her with a smile and nodded. "On the day of the coronation, I will marry you. I want you to be my Empress." As he spoke, his radiant, charming peach-blossom eyes curved into a sweet smile.

He might not care for being Emperor, but he certainly favored having her as his Empress.

However, Jin’er could not muster any joy. After a moment, she forced a thin smile. "Congratulations on becoming the Emperor."

Mo Yan chuckled and kissed her again. "And congratulations to you, my future Empress."

At the mention of "Empress," Jin’er felt a headache coming on. The faint smile on her face disintegrated. She closed her eyes, softened her body, and leaned into his arms, resting her chin on his shoulder so he could not see her strange expression.

"Jin’er, what is wrong? Do you not want to marry me?" Mo Yan sensed that her reaction was not quite right and leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"Isn't there still the blood test? What if..." Jin’er straightened up and looked at him, frowning.

"I believe that possibility is negligible. However, to set your mind at ease, I will take you to see the Emperor this afternoon. So, be happy, hmm?" Mo Yan gently pinched her soft cheek, trying to cheer her up.

"But I don't want to be the Empress. I don't want to be trapped in this back palace filled with schemes."

Mo Yan paused, quickly understanding her concerns. He hurried to say, "You need not worry. I will never let you suffer the slightest grievance; no one will dare to bully you."

She had hoped he would say, "Rest assured, there will be no one else in the palace but you," but he had only promised not to let her suffer. The fantasy in Jin’er’s heart shattered, leaving her cold.

Even if he promised to marry only her, that was merely his own wish. Would the officials agree? Would the Retired Emperor agree? Even before he was Crown Prince, the Left Chancellor had tried to force his daughter upon him. Once he became Emperor, wouldn't those people scramble to fill his harem with their daughters, nieces, and beauties gathered from everywhere to ensure the continuation of the royal line?

She couldn't just reward every one of them with "Soul-Eating Powder," could she?

Setting aside the feasibility, the ingredients for the powder were extremely rare. She couldn't produce that much poison, nor did she have the energy or desire to fight those people.

Thinking this, Jin’er took a deep, silent breath, already having made a decision. She forced another smile and changed the subject: "By the way, what about the Fire Eye Stone? As long as this poison remains, I cannot rest easy."

"I feel the same. Therefore, I will do my best to ensure I can help you detoxify during your next flare-up." Although his father had said he must inherit the throne to obtain the stone, the outcome was now settled. Since it was just a matter of borrowing it, perhaps the Emperor would agree if he asked properly.

Jin’er calculated the time—the next flare-up would be a few days before the wedding, which was actually to her advantage. Her heavy heart lightened slightly.

"How are your wounds? Come, let me take you inside to check on them." Jin’er cast aside her troubled thoughts, stood up, and pulled his hand to lead him inside.

Seeing her mood seemingly restored, Mo Yan exhaled in relief and let her pull him into the room.

Closing the door, Jin’er led him to the bedside and deftly removed his upper garments.

The bandages were still stained with a large patch of blood, but the area was not growing, and the deep color indicated it was old blood, not fresh. She relaxed a little.

"You are safe now, so you must rest properly and not tear your wounds open again," Jin’er instructed as she applied the medicine.

"Understood. But you must get me back in shape quickly; I don't want to enter our wedding night with injuries," Mo Yan said with a grin, looking down at her focused face.

Jin’er paused, her cheeks turning slightly red. She looked up and glared at him. "You are about to be an Emperor, and yet you are still so incorrigible."

Mo Yan’s eyes crinkled with laughter. "What does it matter if I am the Emperor? Once court is dismissed, the Empress is the highest authority."

Jin’er couldn't help but laugh, rendered speechless by him. She continued to grumble, but a trace of sweetness rippled through her heart.

After re-bandaging him, she helped him put his clothes back on and smoothed out the wrinkles on his chest. As she looked up, she was caught off guard by a kiss on her lips.

"I love you so much..." After lingering on her lips, Mo Yan pulled back, holding her in his arms as he murmured, "The thought of marrying you makes me feel an indescribable happiness and excitement. I am so happy, truly so happy..."

Listening to his deep, heartfelt whispers, Jin’er leaned silently against Mo Yan, her heart aching with a bittersweet sting.