Having many handsome men means no worries; pampering them all keeps me in good spirits.

Chapter 213: Love the new and hate the old

Mu Zhiqiu lowered his eyes slightly and said, "I was betrothed to her when we were children, so she is my future wife. I can only try my best to fulfill my fiancée's requests..."

Upon hearing the words "fiancée," Jiang Qingyan couldn't help but frown. She waved her hand and said, "Never mind, as long as you're willing. I was just meddling."

After saying that, he casually poured himself a cup of tea, sipped it slowly, and pretended not to care at all.

Seeing this, Mu Zhiqiu quickly explained, "No, Your Majesty... you were not meddling... it's my fault for being incompetent..."

Jiang Qingyan glanced at him indifferently and said expressionlessly, "Heh, I'm just worried that if you suddenly die from the Gu poison one day, I'll have to go through the trouble of recruiting a top scholar to take your place."

Mu Zhiqiu was speechless at these words. His thin lips parted slightly and then closed gently. He really didn't know how to reply, so he could only silently lower his head.

Prince Aksu, who was sitting to the side watching the commotion, saw the atmosphere suddenly drop to freezing point and quickly said, "Actually, this poison is not as terrible as you think. If Lord Mu never falls in love with anyone, then the poison will never take effect."

Upon hearing this, Mu Zhiqiu did not feel relieved. Instead, he secretly glanced at Jiang Qingyan, who was drinking tea.

Seeing that she had no reaction, Mu Zhiqiu gently bit his lower lip and asked Prince Aksu, "If I were to fall in love, would I immediately die from the Gu poison?"

Prince Aksu shook his head. “The most terrifying thing about Gu poison is not that it kills people instantly, but that it tortures them slowly. If the person you love does not love you back, you will suffer from the effects of Gu poison, experiencing constant pain all over your body. Every time you fall in love, the pain will intensify until your body can no longer bear it and you slowly die.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qingyan's heart skipped a beat, and her grip on the teacup tightened involuntarily. She quickly asked, "What if he and the other person are mutually in love?"

Prince Aksu slightly curled his lips and said, "If that's the case, then this Gu poison will become a good medicine. If the person that Lord Mu loves also loves you, then you should consummate your marriage with her when the Gu poison takes effect. Half of the Gu poison in your body will then be transferred to her body. When the two Gu poisons fall in love, you two will receive an unexpected joy."

Upon hearing this, Mu Zhiqiu relaxed his furrowed brows and bowed to Prince Aksu, saying, "Thank you for informing me, Your Highness!"

Seeing Mu Zhiqiu's relieved expression, Jiang Qingyan felt a pang of indescribable bittersweetness. He must have a very deep bond with his childhood sweetheart…

Prince Aksu waved his hand and said, "Lord Mu, you are too kind. But true love between two people is rare in this world. Otherwise, this Gu would not be called the Heartless Gu. However... things are up to people. I still hope that Lord Mu can find a true love."

Mu Zhiqiu nodded slightly, then turned around and cupped his hands to Jiang Qingyan, saying, "Your Majesty, then this humble subject will take his leave."

Jiang Qingyan gave a faint "hmm" and continued fiddling with her teacup, looking completely indifferent.

Seeing that the Emperor's attitude towards him had suddenly become so cold, Mu Zhiqiu was at a loss for what to do. However, standing there was also a bit awkward, so he clenched his fists and silently turned around and left.

After the doors of the Hall of Mental Cultivation were closed, Prince Aksu slowly spoke, "Does Your Majesty like that Lord Mu from earlier?"

Jiang Qingyan was drinking tea with her head tilted back when she heard Prince Aksu's words and choked on her tea, coughing.

Prince Aksu was so frightened by what he saw that he quickly got up and ran to Jiang Qingyan's side, gently patting her back.

If someone choked to death in front of him, wouldn't he become a Western Regions assassin?

A moment later, Jiang Qingyan finally stopped coughing. She quickly waved her hand at Prince Aksu and said, "It's alright, you don't need to pat my back anymore. With your strength, if you keep patting, my tonsils will fly out of my throat..."

Prince Aksu smiled awkwardly upon hearing this, and then returned to his seat.

Undeterred, he asked again, "So Your Majesty's reaction just now... means you truly like Lord Mu, right?"

Jiang Qingyan turned her head to look at Prince Aksu's beautiful long eyelashes, and curled her lips into a smile, saying, "Why do you say that?"

Prince Aksu said confidently, "Because after the Emperor learned that Lord Mu had a fiancée, his attitude towards him changed drastically. Rather than being angry, it was more like... being jealous!"

Jiang Qingyan chuckled and said, "I just feel a bit disappointed in him because he's so love-struck."

Prince Aksu leaned closer, his pink and alluring lips curving slightly upward. He whispered, "It's alright, Your Majesty. You can open your heart to me completely. I won't tell Empress Mo Ting."

Suddenly, her eyes were filled with an incredibly handsome face, and Jiang Qingyan's heart pounded so hard it felt like it was about to jump out of her throat.

She stared intently into Prince Aksu's alluring peach blossom eyes, swallowing hard. She weakly explained, "Little Apple, don't talk nonsense. I would never be attracted to a married man. I only like clean and beautiful women."

Prince Aksu blinked in confusion, "Why does His Majesty always call me 'Little Apple'?"

Jiang Qingyan smiled, raised her hand and gently pinched his cheek, teasingly saying, "Of course it's because you look delicious~"

Having said that, he stood up, straightened his dragon robe, and said to the bewildered Prince Aksu, "Let's go, I'll take you to have breakfast."

On the way back to Chaoyang Palace, Prince Aksu found everything incredibly novel and even let out exclamations of surprise.

Although the Western Regions are beautiful, they are far less luxurious and solemn than the palace in Da'an. In particular, the concubines' chambers, each with its own unique style, made Prince Aksu exclaim, "To be a concubine in Da'an is truly a great blessing... In our Western Regions, even my father's concubines only have one room. Where else can you find such a large courtyard and so many rooms?"

Jiang Qingyan smiled and said, "What about your mother? She should have her own courtyard, right?"

Prince Aksu shook his head, his eyes filled with helplessness, and said, "To my shame, my mother is not favored at all; even her room is the farthest from my father's bedchamber..."

Jiang Qingyan gently patted Prince Aksu's back and comforted him, "As an emperor, it's normal for him to be fickle. But in the future, the one who can grow old with him will be his original wife, your mother."

Upon hearing this, Prince Aksu stared blankly at Jiang Qingyan and asked earnestly, "Then Your Majesty... are you also so fickle?"