Three ex-husbands and a marriage

Empress

Man Chiu raised his brows and flung the emperor back into his throne. A few guards flew towards him with their swords drawn out but maintained a few feet distance from him. Their eyes locked on Man Chiu's every action while their emperor choked for his ubreath back.

"Capture him, you fools!" the emperor squeezed out, his eyes bloodshot and spittle foaming at the corners of his lips. All power and authority stripped by Man Chiu's presence, leaving him shaking in fear and rage.

I watched the familiar raised corner of Man Chiu's lips, and the image of the Demon King merged into one. No doubt Man Chiu is the demon's incarnate. The guards could not and dared not to budge. Even the Noble Consort remained motionless on her throne without daring to utter a word or move an inch.

I held onto Man Chiu's hand, slipping my palm into his and smiled. "How did you get here so quickly?" I asked. Staring into his eyes, I could tell that at that very moment, I had captured his full attention.

"I never left. Everything I needed is here with you. The empire already bends at my beck and call. I knew you needed space, so I let my men follow you at a distance while I prepared for our wedding."

He gently brushed my hair away from my face and lingered his fingertips on my puffy cheeks. "There were a few pesky loyal guards that delayed me, but not to worry, I will make them pay for this," he said gently.

"He has. Look at him cowering on his throne, and no one in this hall dares to object. Even though at the moment you have the emperor subdued, I want you to take this empire legitimately. I want to rule as an unchallenged empress in a peaceful empire. Minimize bloodshed and unshackle the people from this dying and rotten regime. Man Chiu, I want the people to welcome us, to celebrate our reign. I want the two most powerful families, the Bai and the Hu families, to willingly work for us and bring us the people's hearts," I said, squeezing his palm and staring directly into his eyes.

"Man Chiu, I want to rule this empire..." I said with a pounding heart. I watched his facial muscles twitch and frowned as he registered my final sentence. I maintained a firm hold of his hand and eye contact, petrified that I had pushed him too far.

"You want to rule this empire?" he asked.

"Yes. I want to be the empress in my own right. Not your consort. Can you fulfill my desire?" I asked, ignoring the rumbling among the officials.

"How does a woman, a murderer like you, dare to desire to rule?" shouted the young official from earlier. His arms were now twisted and bound as he was forced to kneel at sword point.

Man Chiu's troops had surrounded the hall, each holding a sword against an official's neck just after his dramatic entrance.

Man Chiu shot him a sharp glance, and immediately his neck was sliced open cleanly, blood spurting from the cut. "I am speaking to the empress. Whoever dares to interrupt will follow him," he said coldly.

The hall fell into a dead silence.

"You want this empire? Why?" he asked again, as if the brief interruption did not happen.

"Because it is my destiny and my desire."

"What about me?" he asked. I stroked his cheek and cupped my hand around his jawline, smiling. "You are mine. Ruler of the northern tribes, consort of the Empress. Together we rule these vast lands."

"Impossible. This is Zhen's empire. How do you speak of it as if Zhen does not exist!" the emperor shouted as he lunged towards me.

I easily dodged his grasp and, in turn, twisted his wrist behind his back and pressed his head against the hard floor with my foot. "Did you forget that I am a murderer? All those bodies there did not die because I am a weak woman. Just because I have not killed you does not mean I cannot," I said, putting more pressure on his head as the emperor whimpered in pain.