Dance Of The Dragons
Chapter 452 : Taking Responsibility (2)

Chapter 452: Chapter 452 : Taking Responsibility (2)

Holding the highest power and authority over the entire Heavenly Realm came with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. For one, Xie Jianshen enjoyed digging out the festering wounds within the realm and administering punishments to those who deserved them. However, he loathed the bureaucracy that took the form of an endless load of petitions and letters he had to read through, one by one, every single day.

Luckily, he had Jiang Rufeng by his side. Although Jiang Rufeng too found the task tedious, he was more than happy to take this burden off his wife’s hands.

The morning sun, dappled and gentle, filtered through the leaves overhead, casting a mosaic of light and shadow on Xie Jianshen’s face as he lounged in the garden. A stack of pillows cradled his head, offering plush support, while his feet, in playful defiance of gravity, rested comfortably atop his husband’s lap.

Jiang Rufeng, ever the dutiful companion, sat beside him, attention fully absorbed in the stack of letters before him. With a voice warm and comforting, he began to read them out loud for Xie Jianshen.

"This one is from Li Haoran, Xiyu Palace Master.

To His Majesty, the Heavenly Emperor, ruler of the entire Heavenly Realm, this subject offers his most sincere greeting. This subject hopes that His Majesty will rule for ten thousands of years..."

"Skip the useless sycophantic prelude," Xie Jianshen snapped. "What does he want?"

Jiang Rufeng’s eyes scanned line after line before he came up with a summary, "He wants to ask for a position in the Golden Dragon Palace for his youngest cousin, Li Haochen."

"The gambler?"

Jiang Rufeng cleared his throat.

"Well, technically, he was more a facilitator than a gambler."

Xie Jianshen propped his head up with one hand.

"And what position should I give him? A Gambling Master in the newly established Gambling Department?"

Jiang Rufeng’s lips tugged up into a smile.

"I thought you just passed the edict to confiscate the properties used as illegal gambling dens all over the realm."

Xie Jianshen shot his husband a smirk.

"Maybe Li Haoran forgot about it. I should send Head Eunuch Lu to remind him."

The Heavenly Emperor let himself fall into the stack of pillows again. Closing his eyes and rubbing the side of his face against the soft linen sheet, he murmured, "Continue."

"Ah, this one will be interesting. A letter from Zhang Fengxi."

Xie Jianshen’s eyes flew open.

"Skip the introduction, what is going on with Mingrui and Junjie?"

Jiang Rufeng chuckled.

"No worries, there is no introduction at all. Zhang Fengxi is asking for Judgment By 99 Lightning Strikes to absolve himself of the Binding Seal Of Heaven and his two sons of the backlash from meddling with fate."

"Oh, really."

Xie Jianshen pushed himself to a sitting position and rubbed at his chin thoughtfully.

"Interesting proposition."

Jiang Rufeng arched a brow at his wife.

"Zhang Fengxi has yet to return to his adult body. 99 lightning strikes might just be nails to his coffin."

"Hm. I suppose that Little Yu might not be very happy about his husband’s death," Xie Jianshen mused. "What brought about this sudden decision?"

"As for that, maybe you should ask him to come and tell you directly. He did not state the reason in the letter."

"Very well. Head Eunuch Lu!"

Upon hearing the Heavenly Emperor’s summon, Head Eunuch Lu scurried over with bowed head.

"This subject greets His Majesty."

"Bring the Supreme General Zhang Fengxi before me at once," Xie Jianshen said as he took Zhang Fengxi’s letter from Jiang Rufeng’s hands.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Jianshen, don’t be too hard on him," Jiang Rufeng said while taking one of Xie Jianshen’s hands and raising it against his lips. "Remember that your brother loves him, and he your brother in return."

With a tender glint in his eyes, Xie Jianshen gently cupped Jiang Rufeng’s chin in his hand.

"I wish that love were enough to overcome everything, Rufeng. Unfortunately, at least half of Little Yu’s misfortunes were caused by his love for Zhang Fengxi."

For the past five years, with his younger brother’s body sleeping in a cold mausoleum at Fuxi Palace and his soul wandering from one reincarnation cycle to another in the Human Realm, Xie Jianshen often found himself in a daze, thinking about his poor younger brother.

Had he and their late Imperial Father let Xie Jianyu live as an omega, would he have led a smoother, happier life?

Xie Jianyu did not need to be a Golden Lotus to attract suitors.

On the other hand, Xie Jianshen did not wish for his brother to go through life living as a flower on an alpha’s hand.

Relying on an alpha’s love to survive was the mistake that too many omegas made, leading some to pay bitterly with their lives.

"Are you thinking about Jianyu again?"

Jiang Rufeng circled his arms around Xie Jianshen’s body from behind, pressing his warm chest against the omega’s back. "You should not overthink it. For as long as I know Jianyu, he never once complained about his life, from start to end."

Xie Jianshen chuckled.

"That’s because he’s a good child. He didn’t want to upset me or late Imperial Father."

"I don’t think so."

Jiang Rufeng pressed a kiss against Xie Jianshen’s nape.

"Jianyu saw the beauty in his imperfect life, and he made the best out of what he was given. I admire him greatly for that."

"..."

Xie Jianshen let out a soft groan and tilted his head backward.

"If you are saying that because you want me to grant Zhang Fengxi some leniency, you can forget about it."

"I never presume to give my Emperor any advice," Jiang Rufeng responded with a sweet smile. "You can dismiss it altogether as idle chat."

Xie Jianshen turned his head and shot Jiang Rufeng a glare.

He was about to say something in retaliation, but then Head Eunuch Lu arrived in a hurry.

"Y-your Majesty, Supreme General Zhang Fengxi has arrived!"

Xie Jianshen and Jiang Rufeng exchanged bewildered glances.

Why, Zhang Fengxi seemed to be eager to get punished soon.