According to the official records: On the tenth day of the second month in the eighteenth year of Qianwan, Ding Huang, the Minister of Revenue, and Shangguan Mingde, the Attendant, lost their decorum in front of the Emperor and were punished by having their salaries for the month confiscated. The Emperor decreed: Dismiss the court, and discuss further tomorrow.

After the court was dismissed, Ding Huang snorted and walked out with big strides without saying a word. The other officials were all careful not to provoke him and stepped aside to avoid him.

Even so, Ding Huang could still hear people whispering and discussing: "What happened to Minister Ding today?"

"Judging from the Emperor's reaction, it doesn't seem like he was very protective either."

"It was really embarrassing to be publicly questioned like that..."

Ding Huang pretended not to hear and walked out with his head held high. Unexpectedly, when he reached the jade steps, a voice suddenly rang out with a hint of laughter: "Minister Ding, please wait."

Ding Huang turned around and saw that it was Shangguan Mingde, standing on a higher jade step, smiling slightly at him.

The weather was still very cold, and a chill struck his face, bringing out a faint blush on his pale complexion, which truly seemed to outshine the peach blossoms. Such a beautiful young man, with such an infinitely timid smile, should have been a very pleasing sight, but it made Ding Huang feel uncomfortable, as if needles were pricking his heart.

Mingde didn't wait for Minister Ding to speak and bowed deeply, saying, "This humble official has offended you greatly today. Please don't take it to heart, sir."

Ding Huang snorted, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare!"

Mingde seemed not to notice his impatient attitude and continued to smile attentively, "Sir, you won't hold a grudge against this humble official, will you? Everyone in the world knows that Minister Ding is loyal to the country and speaks frankly. That's why this humble official dared to discuss state affairs with you presumptuously. If it were someone else, this humble official wouldn't dare to."

Ding Huang said coldly, "I don't deserve such words!"

Mingde bowed deeply again and smiled, "Then this humble official will... will await your memorial to the throne tomorrow, sir..."

Ding Huang left with a flick of his sleeve. After walking a few steps, he heard Shangguan Mingde's cough behind him, which sounded extremely weak, as if he was about to run out of breath. Ding Huang turned around abruptly and said with a cold smile, "Since Young Master Shangguan is ill, you should take good care of yourself. Don't accidentally cough your lungs out!"

Mingde covered the corner of his mouth and smiled faintly, "Thank you for your concern, sir..."

He stood there and watched Ding Huang walk away with big strides. The morning wind in the Forbidden City blew past, lifting his tied-up hair. For a moment, his robe sleeves fluttered, as if his entire being would ride the wind and leave.

Zhang Kuo walked silently behind him and said in a low voice, "Young Master Mingde, the Emperor summons you."

Mingde turned around and saw two sword-bearing guards following Zhang Kuo. He smiled slightly, "Is the eunuch afraid that I will run away?"

Zhang Kuo made way with a face full of smiles, "This servant wouldn't dare. Please follow me, Young Master. The Emperor is waiting for you in the Imperial Study."

Outside the Imperial Study, a row of officials on duty were handling affairs in silence. Zhang Kuo led Mingde past the rows of desks. When they reached the door, Zhang Kuo bowed slightly and said in a low voice, "Please go in, Young Master."

The officials below exchanged a surprised look, and the meaning was self-evident: This person was summoned alone and personally led in by Eunuch Zhang, showing how deeply favored he was by the Emperor.

Mingde walked into the inner hall without looking sideways. He heard a soft creak behind him, and the door had been closed by Zhang Kuo. In the huge inner palace, only two people were left. The Qianwan Emperor was sitting on the huge jade chair, holding something in his hand and examining it carefully. When he saw Mingde, he smiled and put it away, asking, "What did Ding Huang do to offend you?"

Mingde said solemnly, "This subject is only trying to share Your Majesty's worries."

"What worries do I have?"

"Your Majesty is running out of money."

The Qianwan Emperor was stunned for a moment, then laughed loudly, "No money? ...I'm out of money? ...Good! Well said!"

He waved his hand, "Mingde, come here."

Mingde then walked over with a solemn and serious expression, not looking sideways. When he got close, the Qianwan Emperor pulled him, grabbing his waist with one hand and holding Mingde in his arms.

This posture was too ambiguous. Mingde felt himself sitting on the Qianwan Emperor's lap, with their lower bodies tightly pressed together. The Qianwan Emperor's knee was wedged between his thighs, unable to move forward or backward.

Mingde tried his best to lean his upper body back, staying as far away from the Qianwan Emperor's chest as possible, "Your Majesty, indulging in sensual pleasures during the day goes against propriety."

It would have been fine if he hadn't mentioned "indulging in sensual pleasures during the day," but as soon as he said it, the Qianwan Emperor immediately remembered that last time, also here, this young man was pressed under him with his clothes half-removed, his hands tied above his head, his entire jade-like body vividly alluring, weakly panting and letting the Emperor do as he pleased. Unfortunately, at that time, a wicked desire was forcibly suppressed in his heart, burning him for several days without relief. He still hadn't forgotten the anger and desire of being interrupted.

The Qianwan Emperor smiled slightly, and that smile instantly contained countless threats and ominous meanings in Mingde's eyes.

"Mingde," he said in a low voice, "Even if I'm 'out of money' again, I can still afford to keep you, even if it means building palaces and hiding beauties..."

Mingde suddenly pushed him away and tried to stand up, but the Qianwan Emperor immediately grabbed his wrist tightly. Then, the Emperor's naughty knee pressed against his inner thighs and rubbed against him in a very suggestive manner.

A soft and strange sensation spread from the place between his legs that was being maliciously rubbed. Mingde raised his head and gasped, "...Your Majesty..."

"Hmm?"

"In broad day—"

"Indulging in sensual pleasures during the day is human nature." The Qianwan Emperor smiled and slowly slid his hand under Mingde's clothes, kneading from his most sensitive and delicate lower back, "The sages taught this, and I dare not disobey."

The wide lapels slipped off the young man's slender shoulders, revealing half of his jade-white arms, which seemed to take on a wanton and gorgeous pink hue. The waistband was loosely tied around his waist, perfectly outlining a curve that would make any man's blood boil, soft yet with the proud and sexy lines unique to a young man.

"My dear, you are quite passionate today," the Qianwan Emperor looked meaningfully at Mingde's lower body, "Haven't relieved yourself in a long time?"

Mingde's face had turned red enough to drip blood at some point: "This subject does not have any special fetishes!"

The Qianwan Emperor gently placed his hand over Mingde's slightly swollen organ: "This is not anything special or bad. When people have desires, they need to release them, it's as normal as eating and drinking..."

Before he could finish, Mingde gasped: "Let... let go!"

The Qianwan Emperor suddenly held him tightly in his arms, the immense pressure that came with it made Mingde moan. The hoarse and weak moan seemed to be the best aphrodisiac, instantly igniting the Qianwan Emperor's desire.

He even felt that he was already so hard that it was unbearable. At that moment, Mingde suddenly took a deep breath and shouted: "Help!"

The Qianwan Emperor was stunned for a moment, then heard him shout sternly: "-- There are assassins, protect the Emperor!"

With a bang, the door to the imperial study was pushed open, and armed guards and ministers eager to show their loyalty all poured in, shouting to protect the Emperor and panicking to rush up to guard him, their voices rising one after another.

But where could they see the shadow of an assassin in the room? There was only a livid-faced the Qianwan Emperor standing in front of the dragon throne, shouting sternly: "All of you, get out!"

The captain of the guards had sharp eyes and seemed to see the Emperor's hands behind his back, as if forcefully pressing on something. Just as he was about to take a closer look, the Qianwan Emperor roared again: "What are you still standing there for? Have you all rebelled?"

Everyone hurriedly knelt down: "This subject does not dare! This subject obeys the decree!"

Mingde's top was torn off and he was pressed into the dragon throne, struggling desperately to break free but unable to escape that powerful hand. Soon everyone quickly retreated, and the Qianwan Emperor slowly turned around, looking down at him from on high: "Shout again."

Mingde tightly pursed his lips, not making a sound.

The Qianwan Emperor knelt unscrupulously between his legs: "-- Shout again and I'll let the people outside hear you moan in bed..."

He lowered his head and actually unabashedly took Mingde's semi-erect organ into his mouth. The instant sensation was like an electric current passing through the body, the unprecedented intoxication and pleasure made Mingde immediately go limp on the dragon throne, unable to muster the strength to even say a complete sentence besides the broken moans from his throat.

"Keep it down," the Qianwan Emperor chuckled indistinctly, "The people outside are all pricking up their ears to listen."

The warm sensation of the oral cavity infinitely amplified every bit of pleasure, all the trembling and suppression were completely controlled between the man's lips and tongue. Mingde only felt his vision going black in waves, the most subtle sensations of his body being played with to the heart's content like a small boat passively following the rise and fall in the ocean.

"Ah... don't... not there..."

But the Qianwan Emperor was almost on fire. He could no longer hold back at all, the desire in his lower body was already painfully hard, he urgently needed to press the person under him down and thoroughly penetrate him. That kind of urgent desire made his eyes completely bloodshot, he roughly grabbed Mingde's waist, with such force that all five fingers left deep imprints on the youth's soft waist muscles.

"When I saw you standing there today... talking to Ding Huang... I simply wished I could immediately end the court session, then grab you here..."

Mingde's mind was in a daze, the desire to release burning him, yet unable to reach the peak for a long time, leaving him weak and powerless but also wanting to go mad.

"I must be crazy, I should have locked you in the depths of the palace where no one can see you, I actually let my own thing out for the world to see..."

Mingde suddenly let out a moan with a slight sob, the Qianwan Emperor flipped him over, one hand propping him up in front to hold him tightly, the other pressing on his shoulder blades, and in this posture fiercely inserted himself in.

"...Ah!"

The desire in front could not be released, wave after wave of sweet agony leaving him in a daze, while being fiercely penetrated by that hateful man from behind, thrusting in and out as if a beast tearing at its prey, each thrust bringing a little indescribable pleasure that was both terrifying and addictive amidst the pain.

Gradually, it was as if thousands of little insects were constantly gnawing at the inside of the body, the numbness and pleasure taking over all consciousness. That man was still as violent and unrejectable as before, but it didn't hurt as much as before, that knife-cutting pain had all disappeared.

The powerful pleasure almost engulfed him, Mingde didn't even know if he was moaning, he desperately raised his head to expose his vulnerable throat, the Qianwan Emperor forced his chin up, then starting from the delicate skin on his neck, roughly kneaded downward, as if wanting to devour him whole this way.

Suddenly there were two light knocks on the door, and Zhang Kuo said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, Minister Ding requests an audience."

"That old thing, impatiently delivering the account books." the Qianwan Emperor chuckled and said loudly, "Let him in!"

Mingde's whole body stiffened, then he weakly tried to push the Qianwan Emperor away. However, the Qianwan Emperor did not let him do so. With one hand, he pulled Mingde up to sit, and with the other hand, he swished down the curtain in front of the desk.

From this angle, the situation under the desk was completely obscured. Even if Ding Huang came in, he would only be able to see that the curtain of the moon door in the inner chamber was pulled down. Mingde trembled and then his entire body softly collapsed into the Qianwan Emperor's embrace. He was forced to sit on the man's chest, a position that caused the scorching hardness below to penetrate even deeper into his body.

His only support came from the Qianwan Emperor's arms around his waist. Of course, the Qianwan Emperor was not so kind-hearted. Mingde gasped, almost unable to bear making a sound—because the Qianwan Emperor happily let go, forcing Mingde to accommodate the hardness inside him to an unprecedented depth.

"There...there are people...don't...don't..."

The Qianwan Emperor shushed him, then stuffed two fingers into Mingde's mouth. "If you don't want people to hear you moaning, be good and keep these in your mouth."

At the same time, the door to the imperial study opened. Mingde hazily heard Ding Huang's voice: "Your subject Ding Huang pays respects to Your Majesty!"

"Rise, my minister. I won't be coming out...what matter have you come to report?"

"In reply to Your Majesty, your subject has brought the account books for Your Majesty's review..."

The scorching hardness inside just stayed inserted without moving, lightly rubbing the most tingling spot, yet refusing to give release. The saliva at the corner of Mingde's lips flowed down along the Qianwan Emperor's fingers. The usually sanctimonious and treacherous villain was now exhausted to the point of life and death, softly leaning in his arms, completely unable to put on that righteous gentleman facade that deceived the world.

He could only obscenely and hungrily plead with charm. With such allure in his arms, even a sage would transform into a beast.

The fire in the Qianwan Emperor's heart burned more and more intensely. He hastily cut off Ding Huang's long speech. "—Minister, put the account books on the ground."

Ding Huang felt even more strange. The Emperor usually did not have the curtains drawn. In broad daylight like this, could there be a concubine inside...

"You've worked hard, Minister. You may retire and rest."

Ding Huang put down the account books, his mind full of doubts. He wondered which concubine was so favored. His own daughter had been in the palace for so long without conceiving... Thinking this, he took half a step forward and gently asked, "Is Your Majesty feeling unwell? Shall I summon the imperial physician..."

Before he finished speaking, the Qianwan Emperor very impatiently ordered, "Shut up! Get out!"

Ding Huang was startled. He hurriedly retreated several steps and hastily opened the door to withdraw. Just as he closed the door, he seemed to vaguely hear the sound of heavy objects toppling from behind the curtains, followed by what seemed like sweet and soft moans, but he couldn't hear clearly after a moment.

Exactly which family's daughter was it that gained favor to this extent...

Ding Huang stood outside the door for a long time, counting the concubines of rank in the rear palace one by one in his mind, but the more he counted, the more alarmed he became. In less than the time to drink a cup of tea, he was already covered in cold sweat.