The Poisonous Consort, the Regent's Beloved

Su Fuying wondered to herself: Why did the old emperor always bring up the regent whenever he saw her? She really didn't want to have too much to do with the regent.

So she composed herself, carefully chose her words, and said, "Your Majesty, the Regent is of noble status, how could we trouble him to condescend to us?"

However, the emperor did not seem to give up, and continued to ask with a smile, "Your words are not the only one to decide, Regent, what do you say?"

Su Fuying followed the gaze and saw the man leaning back in his chair with one leg bent, toying with a teacup on his fingers. Upon hearing the emperor's words, he casually raised his phoenix eyes, and the two met each other's gazes in the air.

His long, narrow phoenix eyes were slightly upturned, and deep within them was an icy chill.

With a slight raise of his eyebrows, his gaze fell on Su Fuying's face, seemingly casual, yet exuding an air of dominance over the world.

Seeing that the regent remained silent for a long time, the emperor became somewhat annoyed, and his voice deepened, "Regent, I am speaking to you."

His sharp gaze was like a sword, and the unquestionable authority between his brows made Su Fuying realize that this emperor was not as weak and cowardly as rumored, nor was he oppressed by the regent.

Just when everyone thought the regent was about to embarrass the emperor in public again, the man stood up and slowly straightened his cuffs.

"Your Majesty, I have some knowledge of chess. Perhaps I could ask Princess Yongle for some pointers?"

Seeing the Regent stand up, Ren Yinxue couldn't help but feel anxious, wondering if he really wanted to play chess with Su Fuying.

No! How could she be worthy to play chess with the Regent! Only she in this world is worthy to stand shoulder to shoulder with him.

Upon hearing this, the emperor's face darkened with displeasure. "You have no right to speak here."

Ren Yinxue's face paled. She never expected the emperor to reprimand her in public like that, completely disregarding her feelings and dignity.

To others, the emperor appeared genuinely angry. He had always been kind and gentle to the Ren family and had never shown such rage before.

It seems he was truly angered by the Regent today. With so many people present, he ignored the Emperor's words, showing utter disrespect for the Emperor.

People couldn't help but speculate: Had the emperor finally reached his breaking point with the regent? Would he take this opportunity to punish him?

The instigator merely raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone indifferent: "Your Majesty is getting old; be careful not to upset yourself."

"Boom."

The emperor slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly. "How dare you!"

The entire audience was silent, everyone with their heads down, afraid to speak, lest the battle between the two powerful figures involve them.

Su Fuying stood in the center of the hall, head down, pursing her lips, thinking to herself: This old emperor is really something. I dare not touch him, so why does he always go out and cause trouble? The same thing happened last time.

After waiting for a while, there was still no sound. I couldn't help but look up, and what came into view was a tall and slender figure.

His dark, narrow-sleeved python robe exuded an air of extraordinary elegance. The cuffs were embroidered with auspicious clouds in gold thread, which shimmered slightly in the sunlight. The vermilion and white jade belt around his waist was more substantial, and a delicate white jade pendant hung from his waist. He possessed an elegant demeanor and an imposing presence.

Her gaze shifted upwards, and this was the first time she had seen him up close—his deep features and chiseled face.

His eyebrows were like distant mountains, neither too thick nor too thin; he had a straight nose, thin lips, and a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth; his eyes were cold and deep, as if they could see through everything.

He stood there quietly, like a noble sculpture, exuding an irresistible charm.

When Su Fuying met his cold gaze, she felt a chill creep up her spine like a venomous snake. How could the chill in his eyes be so similar to that person's?

Seeing this, the man's lips curled up slightly, revealing a barely perceptible smile. He glanced at her indifferently and said casually, "Losing comes at a price."

Threaten me? Su Fuying raised an eyebrow; she wasn't easily intimidated.

So, she looked him straight in the eye without fear and asked defiantly, "What if the Regent loses?"

Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for those around her to hear. Everyone was startled and turned to look at her, their eyes filled with surprise.

They never expected that this woman would be so bold as to question the regent.

Just then, someone knocked over a cup, making a crisp sound. This sound seemed to break the tense atmosphere and bring everyone back to their senses.

Those watching Su Fuying secretly worried for her.

They thought to themselves, "This woman is quite pretty, but unfortunately she's not very bright; she actually dared to question the Regent."

Doesn't she know that here, the Regent is more terrifying than His Majesty?

The man's eyes were as black as ink, like the deep night sky, fixed intently on her, as if trying to see through her appearance to the depths of her heart. He was silent for two seconds, his lips slightly parted.

“Whatever you like.” His voice was deep and magnetic, as if it came from a distant place. The sentence was short and direct, without the slightest hesitation or emotional fluctuation.

Those who had been eagerly waiting to hear how Su Fuying died stared wide-eyed at the two people in the center of the hall in disbelief.

However, just as everyone was still in shock and had not yet come to their senses, the man's voice rang out again, breaking the silence.

"What if you lose?" His tone remained icy, devoid of any warmth, and devoid of any emotion.

Su Fuying smiled slightly and answered confidently, "I will not lose." Her eyes were firm and resolute, revealing an unparalleled confidence and determination.

The man chuckled and said nothing more.

He extended his slender fingers and swapped the position of the white chess piece in front of him with Su Fuying's black chess piece. The action was simple and clear: the white piece would move first.

Upon seeing this, Su Fuying didn't stand on ceremony and unhesitatingly lifted her skirt and sat down in front of the chessboard.

With her slender, pale fingers, Su Fuying picked up a white jade chess piece and placed it down. During this time, she turned her head to glance at the person on the high platform.

The emperor, who should have been furious, seemed to be suppressing a laugh as he stared intently at the chessboard.

Ren Yinxue looked at him with a resentful expression, her eyes filled with jealousy.

Well, it seems I've completely offended Miss Ren today.

"You can't possibly be distracted while playing chess with me?"

The man's voice, like a deep bass produced by strong tea and smoke, came into view up close, giving one a jolt.

They quickly refocused their attention on the chessboard, and the two played back and forth for half an hour, attracting the attention of even the emperor, who came to watch.

"good good good good."

Finally, Su Fuying placed the last piece, and the emperor clapped and cheered from the side.

"Princess Yongle is indeed skilled at chess; she was able to draw with the Regent," the Emperor couldn't help but praise.

Su Fuying stood up and said in a calm tone, "Your Majesty flatters me."

"Then how do we calculate this?"

The Queen also stood up, looking at the chessboard with a hint of surprise in her eyes.

“Since it’s a draw, then it doesn’t count. However, Princess Yongle’s chess skills have truly impressed me.” The man’s tone was casual, yet meaningful.

Su Fuying paused. How could this cold-faced Buddha praise someone? It sounded a little creepy. "Your Majesty flatters me. I only know a little bit about it."

The emperor's expression was somewhat strange, his gaze shifting between the two of them.

Seeing this, the Empress smiled and said, "In that case, let's continue." With that, she clapped her hands lightly, and the music continued.