The Seductive Beauty Breaks the Insecure Bottom Script [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 41.1

“He Wen? Why is he here? Didn’t court just adjourn?”

Song Mingjiao was somewhat perplexed, failing to grasp He Wen’s intentions for a moment. Even the young eunuch stammered, unable to give a clear explanation.

Song Mingjiao could only rub his temples. He had another matter to handle after today’s court session; since He Wen insisted on coming, they might as well see to it together.

“Invite the Prime Minister to wait behind the screen. You know the spot,” Song Mingjiao instructed Eunuch Zhao.

Eunuch Zhao understood immediately. “Yes, your servant understands.”

In the Hall of Mental Cultivation, there stood a large screen depicting the misty rain and landscapes of Jiangnan from the Great Liang Dynasty. Under the cover of that hazy, artistic atmosphere, one could not see what was happening behind the screen from the outside.

Shang Nanxuan had not had an audience with the Emperor for a very long time. Given his current rank and seniority, he lacked the qualifications to meet the Son of Heaven daily at court.

Thus, when a young eunuch arrived at his manor gates to announce that His Majesty wished to see him, Shang Nanxuan was first struck by disbelief, followed by an indescribable surge of joy. Yet, following the joy was a dense dread; he feared that He Wen had told the Emperor about the events of that day after all.

Under Eunuch Zhao’s guidance, Shang Nanxuan walked into the Hall of Mental Cultivation once more, trembling with fear. What he saw was Song Mingjiao sitting beside a low couch.

Song Mingjiao wore wide robes with flowing sleeves. A chessboard was set before him, but he was not playing against anyone; he was playing against himself.

“Subject greets Your Majesty.”

Having been harshly disciplined by Song Mingjiao once before, Shang Nanxuan was clearly much more sensible than when Song Mingjiao first arrived in this small world. Regardless of what he thought in his heart, he could only bow to Song Mingjiao with proper decorum.

Song Mingjiao was very satisfied with the original male lead’s fear of him. His deliberate cold shoulder these past few days, combined with letting the original male lead taste the ups and downs of officialdom, had likely taught the once-arrogant man a good lesson. Song Mingjiao ignored the system’s frantic point-deduction warnings ringing in his mind.

“Nanxuan, you’ve come.”

Song Mingjiao’s voice was soft and pleasant, like chilling spring water, tenderly calling Shang Nanxuan’s name. For a moment, it made Shang Nanxuan feel as if everything that had happened recently was just a hallucination.

They were still that pair of the young Emperor and the poor scholar who met in secret, away from all prying eyes.

As expected, Song Mingjiao still liked him, didn’t he?

Shang Nanxuan, who had been acting submissively, thought Song Mingjiao had had a change of heart. Moved, he wanted to call out to him.

But in the next second, the Son of Heaven sitting on the couch turned around and said to him with a beaming smile: “I still prefer your… hm, ‘unruly’ appearance from before.”

“Your Majesty, Mingjiao, I know my wrongs. It was because I was focused only on my studies recently, wanting to take the top spot during the palace exam in front of all the officials to win glory for you, that I neglected you. These past days, Mingjiao, you have punished me severely. Is your anger gone? Let us be as we were before, alright?”

Song Mingjiao’s gentle attitude gave Shang Nanxuan a false impression. The Emperor had shed his formal attire right after court, and neither Eunuch Zhao nor any maids were serving him. It felt just like when the two of them were alone in the private alleys, causing Shang Nanxuan to forget the status gap between them.

Song Mingjiao marveled at Shang Nanxuan’s thick skin. It seemed the original male lead of this world was a higher level and more shameless than the one from the previous world.

Song Mingjiao dropped the black stone he was holding onto the board, making a dull thud.

He’s treating me like a throwing-a-tantrum, pouting boyfriend to be coaxed. Although Song Mingjiao had deliberately created this atmosphere today, Shang Nanxuan’s textbook “scumbag” speech still left him amazed.

But the play had to go on. To kill the chicken to warn the monkey, the focus wasn’t the chicken, but the monkey.

Song Mingjiao’s gaze inadvertently flickered toward the screen beside them; he could vaguely see it tremble slightly.

Then, Shang Nanxuan saw the high-and-mighty Emperor lean down and reach out a hand to touch his face.

Those hands had been pampered since childhood, white and delicate. When they first made contact, Shang Nanxuan even felt a strange surge of excitement.

“But I heard that your behavior these days doesn’t seem like you are sincerely reflecting on your mistakes. Someone told me they heard rumors about me did you spread them? Hmm? Master Shang?”

Song Mingjiao asked softly while stroking Shang Nanxuan’s face.

He was very close to Shang Nanxuan now, even allowing the man to vaguely feel the Emperor’s shallow breath and the scent of ambergris that never faded from his body. Everywhere Song Mingjiao’s fingertips brushed made Shang Nanxuan feel a massive sense of pressure, leaving him unable to move.

It really was that wretch He Wen who snitched!

“It was because your subject missed Your Majesty too much that I lost my sense of propriety.”

Song Mingjiao’s slender waist moved in front of Shang Nanxuan, making him want to reach out and embrace that fragrance again just as he once had, but Song Mingjiao nimbly dodged his arms.

“But my dear official, didn’t you once swear you’d rather die than submit? You didn’t want to become a… what was it you called it? A ‘sycophant’? You felt it would defile you? Hmm?”

Song Mingjiao’s voice was very soft, a breathy whisper pressed against Shang Nanxuan’s ear, full of allure. Thus, Shang Nanxuan failed to notice the Emperor’s eyes growing colder and colder.

Act. Keep acting.

When the Emperor was insecure and chasing him, who knows where this man got the nerve to think the Emperor wasn’t good enough for him. Now, after just a period of cold treatment and a taste of the cruelty of officialdom, he couldn’t take it anymore? He dropped the act of being noble and was kneeling properly before him, begging for forgiveness?

“Under the wide heaven, all is the King’s land. Your subject has simply realized that as an official, I should sacrifice myself for Your Majesty.”

Song Mingjiao finally heard what he wanted to hear. He sat up straight and clapped his hands with a laugh: “Good! Very good!”

Shang Nanxuan was baffled. Watching Song Mingjiao’s actions, he suddenly felt something was spiraling out of control.

“Since you have the heart to sacrifice for me, I naturally won’t wrong you. I’ve entrusted the disaster relief in Lingbei to my sixth brother because I value him.”

“But you, I also value. It just so happens that the Governor of the Southwest has submitted a memorial stating there is a vacancy for a County Magistrate. Coincidentally, I shall grant you an opportunity for ‘experience’.”

Shang Nanxuan was dumbstruck. For some reason, the tender atmosphere from a moment ago had suddenly shifted back to that of Emperor and subject. He had also mysteriously received a job transfer.

The rank of a County Magistrate was lower than his current position as a Senior Compiler of the Hanlin Academy (Sixth Rank). Furthermore, it wasn’t a capital post. What was the difference between this and being demoted and exiled?

“Your Majesty, this—”

“This is exactly what you just requested. Are you not going to thank me for my grace?”

Song Mingjiao was still smiling, but his gaze had shifted away from Shang Nanxuan without a hint of lingering affection. Even the hand that had just touched Shang Nanxuan’s face was brushed against his own clothes several times, as if disgusted by dust.

Shang Nanxuan felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

Even though he was playing against himself, the black and white pieces Song Mingjiao held were still fighting evenly. Ultimately, the black pieces gained the upper hand, surrounding the white pieces in the center and capturing them all.

The Emperor no longer looked at him. From Shang Nanxuan’s angle, he could only see Song Mingjiao’s exquisite profile lines soft yet clear, a straight nose, a slight curve to his lips, and skin as fine and smooth as jade. He was a true beauty.

Yet this beauty was the most noble Son of Heaven in the world, doing as he pleased and toying with him in the palm of his hand. When he liked him, he spoke of love at every turn, but his face changed so quickly; when he didn’t like him, he would kick him right out of the capital.

Shang Nanxuan gnashed his teeth, finally realizing that Song Mingjiao had been playing him all along: “Your Majesty, you did this on purpose! You were just mocking me!”

“The Emperor’s word is final! I did nothing wrong! Why is Your Majesty demoting me to a remote place?”

“Nothing wrong? Shang Nanxuan, do I need to list everything you’ve done one by one and throw them in your face?”

Shang Nanxuan thought of the boasting he did in front of colleagues, his private curses against the imperial family, his slanders and fabrications regarding the Emperor, and even his attempt to find a way to cheat when he feared Song Mingjiao wouldn’t give him the exam questions.

In all these matters, Shang Nanxuan had a guilty conscience. Confronted by Song Mingjiao’s eyes that seemed to see through everything, he was suddenly speechless.

“Furthermore, if I hear even half a word of your private comments regarding me in the future, I will have to reluctantly take custody of your tongue.”

Cold sweat broke out on Shang Nanxuan’s back. He slumped to the floor. Only then did he realize that the person he had been involved with was the current Emperor. His life, his honor, and his ruin were all in Song Mingjiao’s hands. Song Mingjiao didn’t even need to hit or scold him; a single word was enough to send him into a hell from which he would never return.

Shang Nanxuan’s lips moved, but his limbs were numb; he couldn’t speak.

“Someone, take him out.”

With Song Mingjiao’s current status, dealing with the male lead was a trivial matter; it required no effort and no one dared to stop him.

After one last glance at Shang Nanxuan, he lost all interest in the man. It was best to send him far away to avoid ruining his mood.

Shang Nanxuan seemed to want to make one last struggle to speak, but fortunately, Eunuch Zhao was very considerate. He had already brought a pair of guards in to cover Shang Nanxuan’s mouth and drag him away by force.

Host! The “Insecure” persona has collapsed by 50%.

The system’s resentful voice rang in Song Mingjiao’s head, even trying to use its non-existent virtual body to bring the male lead back.

Song Mingjiao felt that if the system could just leave with the male lead, he wouldn’t mind. He didn’t feel any attachment to this so-called system.

“I know. It’s only 50%. It’s not a big deal. Notify me when it hits 100%. Fine, you can leave too.”

Having experienced this once before, Song Mingjiao clearly didn’t take the system’s warning to heart and dismissed it immediately.

“You’ve watched long enough. Come out.”

Once the nuisances had left and Eunuch Zhao had quietly closed the doors of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Song Mingjiao set down his chess piece. He rested his chin on his hand, eyes curving like crescents as he looked toward the screen.

The screen swayed several times, and one could even see the silhouette moving. After a long while, a figure emerged. It was He Wen.

It turned out that when He Wen had requested to see the Emperor after court, he had been led behind the screen by the Emperor’s personal eunuch. He had witnessed the entire confrontation between Song Mingjiao and Shang Nanxuan.

He Wen walked up to Song Mingjiao with a complex expression. After a long silence, he spoke in a low voice: “Did Your Majesty summon me here just to appreciate this play?”

Song Mingjiao answered with a question: “Did you not like the play, my dear official?”

He Wen’s lips moved. He really wanted to ask: Do you call every official “my dear official”? Am I no different from Shang Nanxuan in your heart?

But ultimately, He Wen did not say it. “I liked it. As long as it is something Your Majesty shows me, I like it.”

Song Mingjiao gave a light snort. “Come here and play chess with me.”

He Wen could not guess Song Mingjiao’s intentions. He had rushed to see Song Mingjiao after court because last night, he had finally recognized his own heart. Like a youth experiencing first love, he was desperate to tell his beloved.

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