"What is going on here?"

Gongsun Li hurriedly retracted her hands to herself and swirled to face the emperor. The air seemed to have turned ice cold around them and she could literally feel the tornado that was rushing towards her.

Zhu Zhen's eyes looked like it has turned pitched black and a raging volcano brewing in them.

Gongsun Li started shivering with fear and could not manage to say anything other than some incoherent words. Her back filled with cold sweats and her neck itching as if it knew it was going to be apart from her shoulder pretty soon, tears'

Huang Xiaomin kneeled down before the emperor and started kowtowing,

"Replying to Huangshang, we were just having a conversation. This lowly servant does not dare to offend huangshang. Please punish this servant if he has."

Gongsun Li wanted to kick his damn skull pretty hard.

Did this fool go crazy? Why is he asking for punishments, tears'? There is a limit to show politeness ah! This politeness will lead to their doom today, sigh'

"Having conversations, huh?" Zhu Zhen said in a lowly voice. Although his voice sounded gentle, it sent chills down to her spine.

"Yes"

"No"

Huang Xiaomin and Gongsun Li answered at the same time. Gongsun Li felt like bursting into tears.

Why? God why did Huang Xiaomin had to show his honesty at this exact moment? I really want to die, oh wait! You are going to die anyway. In.Your.Husband's.Hands!!!!!

Zhu Zhen smiled coldly, his both hands clenching each other behind his back.

"Come here, Gongsun Li."

Gongsun Li's legs started shaking and she stuttered,

"Huang-huangsha-shang, I-I-"

"I said, Come.Here." Zhu Zhen growled making Gongsun Li sprint to him in fear.

"Huang-huangshang, don't misunderstand jianqie. Master and I were childhood best friends, so we were just reminiscing our memories." Gongsun Li finally managed to explain to this fuming tiger, she was just about to pee herself in fright.

The emperor stared intensely at her face as if searching any signs of lie and then sighed. Tucking a hair behind her ears, he kissed her nose.

"Okay, Zhen forgives you."

Wow, it was easy.

Huangshang on the other hand kneeled down in relief. He kowtowed again and again in gratefulness,

"Huangshang has the kindest heart. Huanhshang forgave us although this servant did not deserve-"

"Who said I forgave you?"

Huang Xiaomin felt like someone poured ice cold water on his head.

"Beat him five hundred times with cane!" he ordered the guards making Gongsun Li's eyes open in shock.

"Huangshang!" she was going to protest but did not think it would be wise to disobey him in front of the guards. Zhu Zhen glared one last time at the man who silently accepted his punishment knowing better than to disrespect him and then dragged his wife back to his chamber.

"Huangshang! Please have mercy!" Gongsun Li cried out.

"No." Zhu Zhen pinned her with a stern stare.

"Huangshang, Five hundred canes! He will die!" Gongsun Li sobbed, guilt cutting her heart into pieces.

Zhu Zhen grabbed her neck and brought her closer to his face. His blazing eyes accusing her for God knows what.

"Wife seems to care for him a lot." The corner of his lips tilted to form a malicious smile.

"What?" Gongsun Li could not imagine how he could be so ruthless.

"Please, huangshang. Please release him. Don't be so cruel. He did not do any offense!"

Zhu Zhen burst into laugh and Gongsun Li could feel with her every cell that there was no humor in that laugh.

"He did! He touched you. He touched what's mine."

"You can't be serious!" Gongsun Li shouted in frustration before biting her tongue. How could she use informal language with the emperor!

"I am not sure what do you mean, my love but all I can say is, I am hundred percent serious."

Gongsun Li closed her eyes to calm herself down. Okay, she can not act like a fool and arguing with him is not going to save Huang Xiaomin.

She slowly kneeled down before the emperor and then said,

"Huangshang, please punish jianqie instead of him. It was this lowly concubine who initiated the touch, not the other way around. It is qie who deserves the caning, not him." She sobbed wholeheartedly in front of the emperor. How could she let any other person get punished for the offense that she did.

"You touched him?" Huangshang voice was meek, his gaze sadly looking down on her.

"Yes." she nodded.

"Now, that's the more reason to punish him then." he said with a cold smile.

Gongsun Li gasped with horror at his implement.

"Wh-What?"

"Guards! Add hundred canes more!"

"Huangshang!" Gongsun Li felt like fainting out of the anger she was feeling inside.

"Don't punish him. Punish qie, huangshang. Jianqie deserve the punishment." she whispered defeated and hopeless.

Zhu Zhen also kneeled down in her level. His fingers wiping her tears away as he laid a deep kiss in her lips.

"Don't worry, my love. You will be punished too."

"Punished?" Gongsun Li gulped and her eyes widened expressing her fear.

"Tonight. In my bed." Zhu Zhen smiled sardonically and went out leaving Gongsun Li shiver with the echo of his last words.

And that night, Gongsun Li was actually punished! Punished so beautifully that, all the guards, maids, and mamas standing outside the royal chamber was horrified with how many times Gongsun Li screamed out the emperor's name while writhing in carnal pleasure.