The Empress Chose My Bride, and Now I’m Stuck with a Yandere at -9999 Affection - Chapter 26:

Chapter 26: The Asura Battlefield Has Finally Arrived

The system had once told Jiang Xuan that in this matriarchal world, someone as handsome as him could do whatever he wanted. Now, Jiang Xuan understood. Looking good didn’t mean he could do whatever he wanted—it meant others would do whatever they wanted to him.

What a pity the system had gone into upgrade and maintenance mode. Otherwise, Jiang Xuan would’ve confronted it on the spot. Damn it, all it had ever done was drag him into trouble, rarely offering any real help. Over the years, he had survived solely on his maxed-out charm stat. After this upgrade, it had better give him a proper newbie gift pack.

As he reminisced about his system, Jiang Xuan had already given up resisting and lay flat, allowing Nangong Liuyun to do as she pleased. With his current beginner-level strength, he was completely incapable of resisting. His only choice was to cooperate and let her have her way. If you can’t resist, then give in.

Originally, Jiang Xuan thought that as long as Nangong Liuyun was satisfied, she would let him go. He would then say a few sweet words and hopefully the matter would be over. But to his dismay, Nangong Liuyun was even greedier than he had expected. She subjected him to torment, both physically and mentally, all because of a bizarre obsession with winning.

“Husband, tell me, who’s better—me or Xia Xiaoyu?”

Jiang Xuan, “?????”

“Ah? Of course it’s you, Liuyun…”

“Hmm? You hesitated before answering. Looks like I’ll have to work harder.”

…

“Husband, you seem a bit indifferent. Is this how you reacted to Xia Xiaoyu too?”

Jiang Xuan, “?????”

“N-No… Liuyun, you’re too powerful… Can I rest a bit?”

“No. Xia Xiaoyu certainly wouldn’t have let you rest this quickly. I must defeat her in every aspect.”

…

Nangong Liuyun was stubbornly competing with her imagined version of Xia Xiaoyu, but the one suffering was Jiang Xuan. No matter how pitifully he begged, Nangong Liuyun ignored him. It was then that Jiang Xuan truly realized how terrifying women in this world could be when they went crazy. A weak man like him had no strength to resist at all.

This also strengthened Jiang Xuan’s resolve to get stronger. If he didn’t improve his physical constitution, he wouldn’t survive much longer.

Fortunately, as Jiang Xuan continued to praise Nangong Liuyun, she finally calmed down. She leaned close to his ear, her breath gentle like orchid fragrance, and whispered, “Husband, do you now see the difference between me and Xia Xiaoyu?”

“Xia Xiaoyu? Who’s that? My wife is unrivaled in this world. Being favored by you is the greatest blessing I could ever earn over three lifetimes.”

As he finished speaking, Jiang Xuan took the initiative to kiss her flawless, beautiful face.

“Hmm? Husband is so obedient now. In that case, I should reward you properly.”

Jiang Xuan, “?????”

Upon hearing that, Jiang Xuan screamed internally, “Again? Damn it, the punishment just turned into a reward—who could possibly survive this?”

Outwardly, Jiang Xuan cupped Nangong Liuyun’s face with a loving gaze, saying, “But… I really hope you can rest well. I don’t want to see you so exhausted.”

“It’s fine. Just looking at your face gives me energy again.”

Jiang Xuan, “…”

At that moment, Jiang Xuan had the sudden urge to disguise his appearance. Truly, his face was the root of all evil.

Just when he thought he was about to fall into torment again, a crisp voice came from outside the room. “Young Master, someone from the Imperial Palace has arrived. They’ve brought an imperial decree from Her Majesty the Empress—specifically for you.”

“Alright, I’ll be right there!”

Upon hearing that, Jiang Xuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, an opportunity to escape from Nangong Liuyun’s relentless attention. With his fragile constitution, he really couldn’t handle any more.

Meanwhile, Nangong Liuyun frowned slightly in confusion. The Empress had already issued an imperial decree regarding her marriage to Jiang Xuan, and she had given that decree to Jiang Yuyan. Now another decree had come from the Empress, and it was also addressed to Jiang Xuan. This made her curious about the decree’s contents.

After they got dressed, Jiang Xuan and Nangong Liuyun went to the Jiang family’s main hall. The palace maid had been waiting for quite a while and seemed visibly impatient. But when she saw Jiang Xuan arrive, her displeasure vanished instantly, replaced by a greedy gleam in her eyes. She stepped forward eagerly and greeted him.

“Young Master Jiang, you truly live up to your name as the most handsome man in the Imperial City. Meeting you today proves the rumors true.”

Seeing the palace maid edging closer to Jiang Xuan, Nangong Liuyun immediately stepped forward to block her, “What? Do you have your eyes on my fiancé? Want me to break your legs?”

Seeing Nangong Liuyun appear, the palace maid’s eyes showed a trace of fear. She instinctively backed off a bit. 

After all, Nangong Liuyun was known throughout the Imperial City for being an overbearing and lawless woman—not someone a mere palace maid could afford to offend.

However, the maid suddenly gave Nangong Liuyun a look of pity before pulling out the imperial decree and announcing, “This is a decree from Her Majesty the Empress, addressed personally to Young Master Jiang.”

Jiang Xuan assumed a formal posture to receive the decree, though he didn’t kneel—after all, the Jiang family had earned immense military merit in the past, and such customs were waived for them.

The maid began reading the decree aloud:

[Not long ago, this Empress issued a decree bestowing marriage between Jiang Xuan of the Jiang family and Nangong Liuyun of the Nangong family. However, the decree stirred fierce reactions across the Imperial City. Upon careful consideration, this Empress believes Nangong Liuyun is not a suitable match for Jiang Xuan. In fact, there is no woman in the Dajiang Imperial City worthy of Jiang Xuan. Fortunately, as the two have not yet married, this Empress hereby rescinds the previous decree, to avoid delaying Jiang Xuan’s future. Coincidentally, the Empress of the Hanguang Empire has long been enamored with Jiang Xuan and wishes to take him as her Emperor. Knowing that they are well-matched in affection, this Empress blesses them to become a loving couple. When Jiang Xuan becomes the Emperor of the Hanguang Empire, the Dajiang Empire shall send a grand gift. Furthermore, Jiang Xuan is requested to enter the palace immediately.]

After hearing the contents of the decree, Jiang Xuan stood frozen. 

It was obvious—this was Leng Wushuang’s doing. How did he not notice before that all his former sponsors were charging headlong down the path of self-destruction? And why did they always have to drag him along?

When did he ever fall in love with Leng Wushuang? Why didn’t he know about it? Eating nonsense is one thing—speaking it aloud is another! Now that Nangong Liuyun had heard this, Jiang Xuan was in full panic mode. He feared she would torment him again. The truth was that Leng Wushuang wanted him for his looks and was forcing him to become an Emperor—a position even dogs would avoid.

He had thought that after escaping, Leng Wushuang would lie low for a while. Instead, she came straight at him with an imperial decree. And now the one most embarrassed was Nangong Liuyun—her official marriage to him had been annulled. What if she lost her temper and destroyed the entire Dajiang Empire?

Jiang Xuan, thinking this was entirely possible, quickly took her hand and tried to calm her, “Wife, there must be some misunderstanding. I really don’t know this Empress from the Hanguang Empire!”

To his surprise, Nangong Liuyun calmly accepted the decree and instantly crushed it into dust. The palace maid was stunned.

“You… how dare you destroy an imperial decree! That’s a capital offense!”

“It’s fine. I’m sure Her Majesty won’t mind such a trivial matter. But she should not have randomly matched my husband without consulting me. I’ll head to the palace and ask her myself whether she truly thinks the Nangong family is beneath notice. Also, I want to see what kind of woman dares to claim no one in the Dajiang Empire is worthy of my husband. Come, Husband, let’s visit the palace together. Don’t worry—just stay by my side and I’ll protect you.”

“Ah? Okay…”

Soon after, Jiang Xuan was pulled into the carriage by Nangong Liuyun and headed toward the palace.

Inside the carriage, she gently pinched his cheek. “Husband, though I believe there’s nothing between you and that Hanguang Empress, I still have a question. Since she named you directly, she must’ve at least seen or known you. So, can you tell me how the two of you met?”

Jiang Xuan, “!!!!!”

Now he was panicking inside. [How do I explain this? Am I supposed to say we met at Tianxiang Pavilion? That place is for the daughters of the nobility! And the only men allowed there are courtesans. Would anyone believe I went to perform arts there? There’s too much involved… being honest might only make things worse.]

After weighing the pros and cons, Jiang Xuan said plainly, “Wife, I thought about it carefully—I’ve never met this Empress from the Hanguang Empire. She probably heard about my looks and deliberately set this up to get close to me.”

After hearing his response, Nangong Liuyun gave him an exquisitely beautiful smile. But Jiang Xuan felt a chill. The last time she smiled like that, he had been severely “punished.” He had since entered the state of a great sage—not interested in any more chaos.

Knowing they were in a carriage now gave him a slight sense of security. However, her next words completely drained that hope.

“Earlier, I mentioned several auras lingering on you. The strongest among them is Xia Xiaoyu’s. I’ll give you one more chance. Is one of those auras from the Empress of the Hanguang Empire? Do you want to confess, or shall I confirm it myself when I meet her?”

Jiang Xuan, “!!!!!”

He broke into a cold sweat. How had she deduced so much from mere remnants of aura? Clearly, hiding anything from Nangong Liuyun was an impossible, hell-level challenge.

But telling the truth would only cause more chaos. After hesitating, he finally said, “Um… I’m not sure… maybe I met her briefly on my way back from the Nangong family yesterday.”

“Oh? So you’re still trying to hide the truth? Listen carefully. First, those lingering auras weren’t there when you left the Nangong family, so you must’ve encountered those women afterward. Second, the Nangong family guards escorted you back in a carriage—you never left it. That means you couldn’t have met anyone on the way. Third, your room only has Xia Xiaoyu’s aura, so you met the others elsewhere. When I asked your maid, she said you never left the Jiang family afterward. That leaves only one possibility—as absurd as it sounds, it must be true. You secretly left the Jiang family and met with those women in private. Am I wrong, my dearest husband?”

Jiang Xuan was utterly speechless. She had deduced everything from aura traces—how could anyone stand a chance against her?

“Um… Wife… don’t you think that’s a bit far-fetched? I’m just a weak man. How could I possibly sneak out of the Jiang family unnoticed? And you know my looks would draw too much attention.”

“It may sound far-fetched, but I’m certain it’s true. You not only have a method to leave unnoticed, but also a way to disguise your appearance.”

Jiang Xuan, “!!!!!”

He was terrified she would continue guessing and expose all his secrets. He quickly interrupted, “That’s not true! It’s all just speculation—it’s not real!”

Nangong Liuyun chuckled, “Feeling guilty? I thought you’d become much more obedient, but you’re still quite rebellious. Besides Xia Xiaoyu, you’re also involved with other women. One of them even forced the Empress to revoke our marriage—how amusing. So, before we arrive at the palace, I’ll have to punish you a bit more. You lied to me again.”

“Pun… punishment? Wait, we’re in a carriage!”

“It’s fine. As long as you keep your voice down, no one will notice.”

Jiang Xuan, “?????”

Panic completely took over. He had zero interest in that anymore—he was in sage mode!

Desperate, he tried again, “Wife, at least wait until you meet that so-called Hanguang Empress first! What if her aura doesn’t match the one you sensed? Wouldn’t that mean I was falsely accused?”

“Whether it’s false or not, you should know better than anyone. Fine, I’ll let you off for now. Once we settle this marriage issue, I’ll bring you back to the Nangong residence. But first, I need to overwrite those lingering auras on you again.”

As she finished speaking, Nangong Liuyun leaned against Jiang Xuan’s body. “Your heart is racing, husband. Clearly, you’re still hiding a lot. Maybe I should try another method to get the truth out of you.”

She sealed his lips in an unrestrained kiss. Not long after, the carriage arrived at the palace gates. When Jiang Xuan got down, he was staggering and nearly collapsed. He took deep breaths of fresh air, trying to relieve the suffocating feeling.

Thankfully, they had arrived in time—otherwise, Nangong Liuyun might’ve shattered his sage mode again.

Nangong Liuyun grabbed his hand, as if declaring her claim, “Husband, it’s time to meet the Empress of the Hanguang Empire.”

Inside the palace, Jiang Xuan was slightly curious. He had long known that Nangong Liuyun had hidden her true strength for years. He didn’t know why she kept it secret. But now, would she reveal it over a marriage dispute? He wasn’t sure. With her true strength, she could walk unchallenged through the palace—no, she could even replace the Dajiang Empress if she wanted.

Jiang Xuan wasn’t worried about her. What really concerned him was the Empress of the Hanguang Empire—Leng Wushuang—who wanted to make him her Emperor. This time, she was probably going to suffer.

Soon, Nangong Liuyun led him deep into the palace hall. The moment they entered, several gazes locked onto them. On either side of the palace stood rows of powerful guards. The Dajiang Empress Jiang Yue stood quietly to the side. On the throne was none other than Leng Wushuang.

She glanced indifferently at Nangong Liuyun, then her gaze shifted to Jiang Xuan.

She lazily said, “My dear Emperor, you’ve made me wait so long. You promised me last night you’d return to the Hanguang Empire with me. You even accepted ten billion spirit stones as a betrothal gift. Why didn’t you come back? I had to personally invite you. But it’s alright—you’re so handsome, it’s understandable to have a little attitude. I forgive you. But tell me, why did you bring along your useless ex-fiancée? Didn’t you tell her that you became mine completely last night?”

Jiang Xuan, “!!!”

He was completely stunned. He had expected Leng Wushuang to say some outrageous things—but he didn’t think she’d drag him into her madness like this. What did she mean by “completely became hers”? He had clearly run away!

This was bad. She was going to make Nangong Liuyun angry again.

At that moment, Nangong Liuyun spoke calmly, “Husband, is she the one you mentioned before—the woman who wasn’t quite up to par in certain ways? Why don’t you clear things up now? Who satisfies you more—me, or her?”

Jiang Xuan, “?????”