TFRLTOP Chapter 69 Part 1

Chapter 69 – The Tyrant’s Beloved, Part XVII
◎ The Flatbread Made by His Beloved ◎

“My beloved consort,” Emperor Wan Qian said evenly, staring straight at her. “Tell me—what have you been doing while I was away?”

His voice was calm, almost lazy, but Ming Ming could clearly see the chill behind his expression—the kind of calm a man had right before punishing someone.

She was doomed.

This is bad, Ming Ming thought miserably.

What a mess she’d gotten herself into.

She took tiny steps toward him, tilting up her face in a show of sincerity. “It was my idea to go out. Please don’t punish the palace staff.”

“That’s all you have to say to me?” His tone darkened further.

“Promise you won’t punish them first…” she coaxed, looping her arms around his and giving him a playful shake. Standing on her toes, she rested her chin on his shoulder.

So sweet. So well-behaved.

Emperor Wan Qian looked down at her coldly.

Look at her—she’d gone out once and already learned to flirt with him! She’d never acted like this before!

Clearly, she’d been secretly colluding with Jiang Ruotian’s faction. They must have taught her these tricks—softening him up to lower his guard.

The Emperor seethed inwardly. She’s asking for discipline!

With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the palace attendants. The terrified servants fled the room as if escaping death itself.

“You scared them half to death,” Ming Ming scolded gently. “Before I left, I promised I’d take full responsibility if anything happened.”

“And how,” the Emperor asked in a low, strained voice, “do you plan to take responsibility?”

From his view, her whole upper body was pressed against his arm—soft and warm, carrying a faint scent of her hair.

This was exactly the moment she’d been waiting for. Her eyes lit up.

“I’ll make you flatbread! Personally! Just for you!” she declared, all smiles.

The Emperor: “…”

What exactly had he been expecting?

He pulled his arm free with a cold snort. “You think that’s enough to appease me?”

He turned and sat down on the nearby couch.

Ming Ming followed quickly, speaking in a rush. “It’s really good, I swear! I worked so hard to learn! You know I don’t have anyone else in this palace to cook for…” She reached his side, intending to sit beside him—but before she could, the Emperor pulled her by the arm and set her sideways on his lap.

Her mind went blank as she tumbled into his arms, forgetting what she’d been about to say.

Oh well. Sitting on him was fine too.

“With me here, how can you say you have no one?” he said.

Ming Ming curled her legs onto the couch, settling into a comfortable position against his chest.

“That’s just it,” she said, blinking her large watery eyes up at him. “I learned how to cook, but who else would I make food for? The other consorts? The servants? Of course not! It’s for my wise, heroic, hard-working emperor!”

“I only have you, Your Majesty…”

That last line hit him right in the heart. His expression softened ever so slightly.

Ming Ming had gotten much better at the art of words—what she used to say to the system, she now used on the Emperor. “Besides, you said you wanted to see me when you got back. You never said I couldn’t go out in between. And look! You’re back, and I’m right here. Isn’t that exactly what you wanted?”

He pinched her cheek. “Are you trying to twist my words now, hmm?”

“I went through all that trouble to retrieve the Phoenix Seal for you,” he said, voice sharp. “And what do you do? You don’t even care! You run off, and now you’re trying to bribe me with a flatbread.”

What do you mean by ‘for me’? Ming Ming fumed silently. That was for your own empire, not for me! And now I owe you a favor for it?

Well, two could play at that game.

“You’re so powerful, Your Majesty! Thank you for getting the Phoenix Seal for me! I’m so grateful that I can only repay you by making you my special flatbread!” she said brightly, slipping in her ulterior motive mid-flattery.

“…” The Emperor flicked her forehead, exasperated. “You think I’m lacking a piece of flatbread, is that it?”

“But it’s delicious! You’ll see!” she said, clinging to him and pouting. “It’s your beloved consort’s own cooking—unique! Aren’t you just a little curious?”

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Your Majesty…”

She was working overtime to charm him—and to make sure he’d actually taste it later.

The Emperor, however, was… affected. He pressed her head up and caught her lips in a kiss. One thing led to another, and soon she was flat on the couch beneath him.

“Save some energy,” he murmured darkly. “I prefer when you call me ‘Your Majesty’ in bed.”

Ming Ming’s eyes widened. “No way… I still have to make the flatbread…”

“At a time like this, you’re thinking about flatbread?” he said irritably. “Do you know a spring night is worth a thousand gold pieces? Come here. Let me enjoy you properly.”

“I won’t! I need to make it now! Don’t stand in the way of my culinary destiny! I worked so hard to learn—hey! It’s still daytime! Wait till tonight—uh, I mean, Your Majesty, let’s make a deal. Let me cook first, and tonight we can… celebrate. You eat my flatbread, I’ll… sleep with you!”

The Emperor went completely still. Then, in an icy tone, he said, “Don’t make me order them to bring the new jade instrument right now.”

Ming Ming: “…Eep.”

Their “reunion” that night lasted until dawn. The Emperor was relentless, pausing only to have food brought in so she wouldn’t faint from exhaustion.

When it was finally over, Ming Ming collapsed on top of him, weak and breathless. “Did you… secretly take medicine or something?” she mumbled.

He gave a low laugh. “Not yet. But thank you for the compliment, my love. I’ll be sure to savor your flatbread later.”
Even if you poison me with it, he thought, I’ll still eat it.

Over my dead body, Ming Ming fumed silently. I wouldn’t feed it to a dog.

The next morning, she woke up sore all over.