The Marquis Is Innocent - 169.1

Chapter 169.1

Extra Story: The Cat Emperor and the Uninvited Emperor  (II)

As darkness fell, the palace attendants lit the palace lamps on both sides, and the continuous lights dispersed the heavy night color that shrouded the palace.

The Emperor sat behind the imperial desk in the Imperial Study. His eyes gazed longingly at the candlelight before him, and his figure remained frozen. He still could not believe what had happened. After dying from the arrow that penetrated his throat, he returned from death and became his present self.

Now ‘himself,’ was indeed his own, but it was another different ‘himself.’

In addition to the similarity of being the founding Emperor of Great Yan, this ‘self’ not only unified the world earlier than the former him but experienced many things differently.

When the lightning struck his body, images of present life reflected in his mind. Currently, it is the second year of Taihe. Those who had fought the world along with him were doing well. His generals and his grandmother, Mrs. Xu, were all still alive. She had gone to the Daming Temple. In the next few days, she will return to the palace. And Miss Su, his crowned  Empress in his previous life, had tried to poison his grandmother!

……

It’s so confusing. Everything in this world, including this Imperial Study, was familiar and unfamiliar to him!

He sat alone for a long time. When the sun slanted in the west, heavy twilight gradually covered the room. After darkness completely engulfed the night, he was still in the room. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps came from the distance, followed by a conversation between a woman and the maids. The woman’s voice was soft and refreshing, pleasant to the ear. He instantly discerned the voice. She was the Empress he had seen during the day, another daughter from the Qiao family!

In his original world, the only impression this daughter of the Qiao family had left on him was that of a dead, cold, beautiful corpse. Yet here, she was the queen of another self and not only that, but she was also the only woman he favored.

With the sound of the woman’s footsteps getting closer and closer, the memories of being with this woman within the body he had taken over instantly invaded him like a tidal wave.

In the daytime, that ‘himself’ and she sleeping on the brocade quilt and enchanting pictures floated in his mind—  Perhaps this feeling was born from the original ‘self’ memory. But when he took over the body and embraced her due to her fear of thunder, he indeed felt something. Even at this moment, he still seemed to remember the soft skin in his embrace.

He couldn’t possibly because of a woman’s embrace then give birth to any strange feeling. But for some reason, his nervousness rose with the woman’s footsteps.

It had been a long time since he had experienced what it meant to be nervous. Suddenly his heart was beating faster without his control, and he felt uncomfortable.

She was the one closest to him, and if anyone found anything wrong with him, it would be her, and that was why he was nervous about facing her, consoling himself in his heart.

For a subtle reason that he didn’t even know why, he didn’t want anyone to know what was happening to him. Anyone. Including the person beside his pillow.

The Emperor took a deep breath and tried to relax his body, which had suddenly tensed up just a few moments ago.

……

The cat tossed and turned in front of Xiao Qiao as if it possessed. After sending it back to Jiade Palace, it scurried back on its own, and the palace staff couldn’t stop it at all, much less catch it. Lastly, the cat rushed towards Xiao Qiao and stuck to her, rubbing against her feet, tilting her head to look at her, meowing softly.

The cat has always been proud and cold. Xiao Qiao had raised it for many years, but she had never encountered such as tonight’s situation. Fearing Wei Shao would have an allergic reaction, she forcefully sent it away. For some reason, when Xiao Qiao looked into the cat’s beautiful eyes and listened to its pitiful purr, her heart softened. She picked it up and personally sent it to one of the side rooms next to her chambers, asking the palace maids to bring its nest and letting it in. Squatting down to stroke and coaxing it, she said: “The Empress Dowager has not returned yet. Did you think Jiade Palace is cold? You can sleep here tonight, but do not run around anymore! If you keep messing around, I’ll get angry, understand?”

Wei Shao was so depressed that he almost went crazy. He couldn’t wait to hit the wall and knock himself out. But after half a day, he finally realized he couldn’t escape this predicament.

No one knew what was happening to him. Neither did Xiao Qiao. It would be a disaster if he was locked up and couldn’t approach her.

That short-lived ghost from last life took his own body. Everything else was fine, but what he was most afraid of was that he would take advantage of Xiao Qiao.

Although it was also his own body, and strictly speaking, the Emperor who took over his body wasn’t considered an outsider, his pretty Empress could only belong to him, not even himself from his previous life!

Wei Shao knew he could only accept this reality first.

As a matter of urgency, he must win the pity of the beautiful Empress and find a way to stay in this chamber. That way, he could always seize the opportunity to guard against any evil attempts by the unlucky Emperor.

“Meow-“

He purred in aggravation, sticking out his tongue and licking the palm of her hand. The cat’s tongue was wet, hot, and bore soft barbs, and she felt tingly and itchy when it licked her palm.

Xiao Qiao laughed heartily and shrank back, stroking its head before standing up.

……

Xiao Qiao told the palace attendants to wait outside and entered the Imperial Study alone.

The Emperor sat behind the imperial desk with his head bowed, turning over the folders in his hand.

Xiao Qiao walked towards him and smiled. ”Is today’s matter still not finished? I saw that you were late in returning. It’s late. Husband, you must be tired. If there was nothing urgent, let’s go back and rest first. It’s not too late to read the rest tomorrow.”

She reached his near side, took the folders in his hand, organized and placed them together with the book on the imperial desk while looking at him.

The Emperor was surprised and felt uncomfortable. In his past life, no woman dared to take something from his hand like this, let alone the folders.