TFRLTOP Chapter 59 Part 1

Chapter 59 – The Tyrant’s Beloved 

Excitement

In the shadows, currents surged unseen.

A long, slender hand slowly lifted, fingers poised on a taut bowstring hidden in the dark.

Everything was ready.

Just waiting for the right moment…

“Your Majesty!” a shout came from outside.

The hand froze mid-air. Sword-straight brows drew together; sharp eyes flickered with thought.

“My Lady, you can’t go in there—”

The commotion grew noisy, chaotic.

The figure in hiding pressed his lips into a thin line, resolve flashing across his face. Perfect. Now was the moment—

But before he could act, a slim figure burst in, rushing straight up to Emperor Wangan with a breathless cry:

“Your Majesty! I’m willing!”

…?

When the intruder’s identity became clear, the hidden figure quickly changed hand signals.

Tch.

“Who allowed you to enter?”

Jiang Fuling, drunk on her fantasy of romance, failed to catch the icy menace under Emperor Wangan’s words.

In her mind, she still clung to the belief that the emperor’s refusal to acknowledge her publicly was his way of shielding her, protecting her.

She stood before him, fearless. “Your Majesty, I know everything now! Jiang Zhelan told me everything! I came today to tell you—I am not afraid! I don’t need your protection. Whatever happens, we’ll face it together!”

Gao Fu looked at her as though she were both a hero and a lunatic.

He fretted silently—didn’t the Council of State just replace this room’s carpet yesterday after two heads rolled? Were they about to need another one? This carpet was the hardest to lay. Those clumsy little eunuchs needed him to guide them hand by hand… what a headache.

Yet, to his surprise, Emperor Wangan didn’t immediately order Lady Fuling’s punishment.

Gao Fu stole a glance. The emperor’s eyes betrayed a flicker of thought.

Wangan concealed the edge in his gaze and asked lazily, “Oh? And what exactly did Lady Lan tell you?”

He hadn’t fully followed Jiang Fuling’s ramblings, but one name stood out. That was worth hearing more.

Had she hesitated a moment longer, he would have ordered her dragged out and executed.

Jiang Fuling, flushed with nervous excitement, darted a look around the room. She wished the emperor would dismiss the others so she could speak to him in private. But he simply waited in silence for her to go on.

Mortified yet determined, she said shyly, “Your Majesty, I know your true intentions. You want to raise my rank, but to protect me from envy and hostility, you promoted my elder sister and Jiang Zhelan above me. That way, they could draw fire on my behalf.”

She had rehearsed this reasoning on her way here. Who was she? The mistress of the harem, the emperor’s chosen consort. She should think and act like the empress in all but name, his wise and loyal partner.

Since he had sacrificed his own reputation for her, she must be the one to restrain him in moments of recklessness.

“I understand your kindness. The harem is a battlefield for women—I get that. I’ve long been prepared to stand against every woman in the realm if I must. Let me face that myself. But my sisters are still my sisters. I’ve heard poor Zhelan has suffered greatly, and only thanks to Your Majesty’s protection has she survived… I’m not jealous. Sharing your meals and quarters with her was the right choice—otherwise, who knows how many schemes would’ve destroyed her already?”

Jiang Fuling finished her speech and felt proud of her own righteousness.

Wangan tilted his head. “And did you figure all this out yourself… or did Lady Lan put the thought in your head?”

She blushed. “To my shame, I didn’t realize your true heart until Zhelan reminded me. Without her, who knows how long I would’ve kept you waiting.”

The emperor thought of a certain someone who had spent the past few days in leisure, eating and drinking well while leaving him forgotten. His lips curled in a cold, ambiguous smile. “Yes… I have waited quite some time.”

So, she hadn’t forgotten him at all. Not only did she keep him in mind, but she’d also calculated everything neatly.

Remarkable.

Jiang Fuling, still lost in her delusions, heard his words as a declaration of long-suffering devotion. Her heart swelled, but she forced herself to stay composed. This was her chance to preach virtue, to prove her worth as his wise consort.

“Your Majesty, I know you love me. But you cannot—no matter what—become a tyrant despised by all just to protect me or indulge my whims. That must not happen! You must be a wise ruler, a good emperor, one praised by all. Don’t let your feelings for me drive you to cruelty or injustice!”

Wangan chuckled. “Hah. This is the first time anyone has dared call me a tyrant to my face. Even those censors, before losing their heads, never used that word. They knew the difference between one man’s death… and the execution of his entire clan.”

The warmth drained from his eyes. Beneath the desk, his fist tightened. Grinding each word out, he asked, “Was this also Lady Lan’s advice?”

“No. She wouldn’t understand such things. This was my own realization!” Jiang Fuling declared proudly.

Even if someone else had coached her, she would never admit it. Why let another woman steal her spotlight?

At her answer, Wangan slowly released his clenched fist. His expression smoothed.

“I see…” he murmured.

“When I was young, I read of emperors blamed for wickedness on account of some frail woman. They said because of her, he neglected his duty, ignored his people. I never understood it then. With all the power of the throne in his hands, why would an emperor need anyone to ‘lead him astray’?”

Resting his chin on one hand, he smiled faintly. His gaze locked unblinking on Jiang Fuling. The smile never reached his eyes; cold light gleamed there, sharp as a serpent’s. “So when I became emperor, I confirmed it for myself. The so-called ‘femme fatale’ was nothing more than a scapegoat for weak emperors. After all, how could a Son of Heaven ever err? If something went wrong, it must be because some treacherous woman bewitched him.”

“A foolish trick. Yet effective, isn’t it?”