Gu Wangchen’s heart skipped a beat, unsure of why Xiao Wan was acting this way.
Before he could overthink it, he followed his established strategy. He rose, walked to stand before Xiao Wan, and lowered his head, asking, “Your Highness?”
“Oh, lean down. This Empress Dowager heard your neck was accidentally injured; I wish to take a look for you.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Gu Wangchen finally breathed a sigh of relief. He turned his back to her and crouched, exposing his neck to Xiao Wan.
Anyway, there was no way she would strangle him to death right here. It was fine.
To be honest, although Gu Wangchen still held a vague childhood memory of Xiao Wan, it had long since blurred.
Coupled with the vivid memories of his past life, he remembered all too well how terrifying this Empress Dowager of Great Qian could be.
Among so many bosses, if his father, Gu Huaizhang, was the ultimate mechanics-based monster, then the Empress Dowager before him, Xiao Wan, was the ultimate stat-monster.
There were no flashy tricks; everything was pure numerical suppression.
In his past life, the first time he encountered this Empress Dowager in her crimson palace robes, he had been “first-killed” by a single palm strike that pulverized him along with half the inner palace.
Thinking of this, he forced down the dark thoughts in his mind, steadied his heartbeat, and tried his best to remain calm and composed.
A soft, boneless, and slightly chilly hand came to rest on his neck.
“Hiss…” Gu Wangchen instinctively hissed through his teeth, caught off guard.
“Xiao Chen, my apologies,” Xiao Wan immediately withdrew her right hand. “This Empress Dowager’s cultivation technique is somewhat unique. Was it too cold for you, or did it hurt?”
“Your Highness, I am fine.”
Calming his nerves, Gu Wangchen hurried to respond. He truly did not want Xiao Wan to think he was repulsed by her right now; otherwise, it would be detrimental to the upcoming negotiations.
Regarding Xiao Wan’s cultivation technique, Gu Wangchen understood it. Her practice of the Great Yin Pure Maiden Scripture, combined with her innate Nine Nether Mysterious Succubus Physique, allowed her constitution and technique to complement each other. This was how she managed to reach the Ninth Realm before the age of thirty.
However, because of her physique and technique, she had become a cage for the Absolute Yin Lunar Qi. Therefore, she was forced to remain a virgin forever. If the Absolute Yin Lunar Qi within her body ever backlashed, at best she would lose all her power, and at worst, she would die instantly.
The late Emperor had also recognized this trait in her, which was why he chose her to be the Guardian of the State within the inner palace.
Otherwise, if she ever developed feelings for a man outside the imperial family, the entire palace would be in danger.
But the late Emperor never anticipated that after his passing, this Guardian of the State, who was supposed to remain uninvolved in court affairs, would use her status as Empress Dowager to build her own political faction in a short time and begin a struggle against his daughter, Li Zhaoning.
Thinking of this, Gu Wangchen sighed inwardly, thinking that Xiao Wan was also a contradictory person.
She was both powerful and pitiful. Although her strength placed her among the top tier in the world, she had been dragged into the treacherous political struggle because of the price she paid for that strength and her identity.
He offered no judgment on this. Politics was not something you could simply choose not to play. Sometimes… even if you didn’t want to think about it, you had to.
“Xiao Chen, are you truly alright?” Xiao Wan’s hand hovered in the air, unsure whether to advance or retreat. She could only confirm once more.
For both public and private reasons, she did not want to hurt Gu Wangchen because of her own nature.
“I am truly fine. I was just caught by surprise a moment ago. I didn’t expect Your Highness’s…” Gu Wangchen shook his head, trailing off.
After confirming that Gu Wangchen was indeed alright, Xiao Wan pursed her lips and placed her hand back on the nape of his neck, carefully feeling the heat pressed against her palm.
This was… a man’s temperature.
Although Xiao Wan was forcefully suppressing the Absolute Yin Lunar Qi within her, even a tiny leak was not something that a person like Gu Wangchen, who possessed no cultivation, could resist.
Yet he was still willing to let her touch him.
A flicker of emotion flashed in Xiao Wan’s beautiful eyes.
Was this truly the “Number One Profligate of Sheng’an” that the rumors spoke of?
If such a person could be the top profligate, then she could only assume that everyone in Great Qian had become a saint.
With that thought, she somewhat reluctantly withdrew her hand and hid it within her sleeve, her pale fist clenching tight, as if she didn’t want that burning temperature to fade.
“Xiao Chen, this Empress Dowager has already punished the Commander of the Demon Suppression Bureau. The Centurion who accidentally injured you has also been disciplined according to the law.”
“Come, sit down. The evening meal will be served soon.”
Gu Wangchen sat back down by her side, pondering how to broach the topic of the messenger and the corresponding spirit mine smuggling case.
“Xiao Chen, it has been six or seven years since I last saw you after I entered the palace, hasn’t it?” Xiao Wan spoke first.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Hmm…” Xiao Wan blinked, then dismissed the maids in the hall.
“Xiao Chen, do you still remember the circumstances of our last meeting?”
“…” Gu Wangchen remained silent.
“Ah, that’s right. After all, you were just entering your teens back then. It’s normal for your impression to be a bit blurry.” Xiao Wan smiled faintly, her eyes lowering slightly.
After a moment, she continued, “Then, Xiao Chen, do you remember… what you used to call me?”
Hearing this, Gu Wangchen carefully searched his memories, and after a moment, he found the relevant details in a dusty corner.
After hesitating for a while, he spoke: “Your Highness, I naturally remember. But that was then, and this is now…”
“Xiao Chen,” Xiao Wan placed her hands in front of her and said softly, “I called you that back then as well, didn’t I?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Then… shouldn’t you also use the title from back then to address me?”
Gu Wangchen looked up at Xiao Wan, not entirely sure of her intent.
Was she trying to build rapport with him to gain leverage for the upcoming negotiations?
Most likely.
Thinking this, he didn’t intend to cross her. He nodded and said, “If Your Highness does not mind, then I naturally can.”
“Auntie Wan.”
“Ah~”
Hearing Gu Wangchen’s address, Xiao Wan’s eyes curved, and her phoenix-like eyes instantly brightened. She immediately responded with a smile.
This form of address was like a switch, quickly opening Xiao Wan’s floodgates of conversation. She began to reminisce uncontrollably:
“Xiao Chen, do you remember the first time I held you?”
“Wangchen does not remember…”
According to his memory, Xiao Wan and his late mother had been close friends. Although there was a significant age gap between them, they were surprisingly compatible.
From the time he could remember things, Xiao Wan would occasionally visit the Prime Minister’s Manor to find his mother, and in passing, she would play with him while he was still small.
How could he possibly remember the first time she held him?
“Well, that’s true. Xiao Chen was too small back then; it’s normal not to remember clearly.”
Xiao Wan tilted her head and answered her own question. “You were only three years old at the time, still babbling…”
“Right, Xiao Chen, do you remember the other name you had for me?”
As the conversation became more animated, Xiao Wan even forgot to use the formal “this Empress Dowager” when referring to herself.
“I don’t remember.”
Xiao Wan nodded and provided the answer for him. “At that time, you even called me Sister.”
“Is that so? Wangchen has no memory of that.”
He truly didn’t remember this. Although Xiao Wan was only in her thirties now, she was technically of the same generation as his parents. Would he have called her “Sister”?
He had no impression of it at all.
“It’s true! It was only because your parents felt it would mess up the generational seniority that they made you change it.”
“I see.” Gu Wangchen nodded slightly.
“By the way, I wonder if Your Highness—oh, I mean Auntie Wan—has summoned me to the palace for some important matter?” He didn’t really want to chat with Xiao Wan about these things he could barely remember.
He wanted to get to the point.
“Xiao Chen, am I just a cold political symbol in your eyes?” Xiao Wan’s voice sounded a bit dejected.
“That is not the case.” Gu Wangchen let out a cold laugh in his heart, thinking that if it weren’t for the memories of his past life, he might have actually believed her.
“Auntie Wan truly just wanted to see Xiao Chen again.” Xiao Wan readjusted her demeanor and turned to look at Gu Wangchen, parting her lips to say:
“And also… I wanted to ask how your relationship is with your father.”
Here it comes!
Hearing this sentence, Gu Wangchen knew the real topic of the night had finally arrived.
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