I Only Marry Widows-Chapter 439 - 78: I’ve Been Craving You for a Long Time

If this cooperation falls through, or that damned guy truly gets carried away by lust and messes up her grand plans, it would indeed be quite troublesome.

"Damn it, why does he have to follow the path of Purifying the Heart with Sexual Desire?"

Yi Hongchen stormed back to her sleeping quarters angrily. In her palace, there were only palace maids and female officials; as for eunuchs, those filthy creatures, she found them an eyesore and had long since sent them to other places in the palace.

Feeling somewhat agitated, she went directly to the hot spring.

Without any need for her to instruct them, palace maids naturally began to attend to her.

This hot spring was a natural formation, created after the Earth Fire and lava were triggered during the last great battle in the Central Capital, later transformed into a pool solely for her enjoyment.

Under the service of the palace maids, Yi Hongchen disrobed, revealing her flawless white skin, and then stepped into the hot spring one step at a time.

In this hot spring, there were various precious herbs and flower petals, carefully blended, which were greatly beneficial to the body and also emitted a refreshing fragrance.

Lying in the hot spring, her spirit gradually calmed down.

She was a True Immortal proficient in Spiritual Communication; her spiritual will was naturally very resilient. At this level of cultivation, if she deliberately suppressed herself, emotions and desires would not affect her at all.

But almost all True Immortals would consciously indulge their emotions rather than restrain and suppress them; doing so would be counterproductive, making one more susceptible to being assimilated by the Heavenly Path Torrent and falling into the danger of Tao Transformation.

Yi Hongchen was no different, acting completely from the heart, allowing herself to laugh when amused, to rage when angered, just like an ordinary woman.

At her level of cultivation, she was naturally not bound by the rules and laws of the mundane world. In fact, she was the creator of these rules and rituals, so she had no concept of chastity.

If she wished, she could have three thousand male concubines, indulging in pleasure at will.

The reason she refused Lu Chengfeng was that he regarded her merely as a tool for pleasure; how could someone as proud as her submit to being enjoyed by others, especially when her heart was set on Chu Xiangtian.

"Completely submitting to him is out of the question, but if a fleeting romance could lead to a closer cooperation, perhaps it’s not out of the question..."

Though she was under the Divine Techniques calculation, admiring Chu Xiangtian, she didn’t have the sort of chastity concept of a mundane woman, not feeling the need to remain chaste for a man she adored.

As long as she cared for him in her heart, even having relations with another man wasn’t a big deal; after all, the flesh is but a skin, and even in Primordial Spirit Dual Cultivation, as long as her core secrets weren’t disclosed, it was inconsequential.

Yi Hongchen, pondering in her mind, gazed at her own body, immersed in the hot spring, every inch impeccable, skin as white and delicate as milk, soft and tender.

Coupled with the graceful curves of her body, even she found herself moved, thinking it was a work of Creation, formed by the Heavenly Dao, each curve seemingly containing the mysteries of the Great Tao, overwhelmingly beautiful, captivating to behold.

"That guy, using Purifying the Heart with Sexual Desire, instead allows me to grasp his weak points. With careful planning, I can influence and calculate him from all aspects, making him act in a way I’ve envisaged."

"Though complete control is impossible, with time, he would be tied to me with a chain, subject to my manipulation and influence."

Yi Hongchen’s gaze was profound and deep, "In that case, giving him a bit of sweetness would be worthwhile."

Her finger glided down from her chest, across her body, eventually landing on her slender jade-like legs.

"Lu Chengfeng, you lucky fellow."

Thinking this, Yi Hongchen submerged entirely at the bottom of the hot spring, her beautiful and captivating figure completely enveloped by the water.

...

Lu Chengfeng and Princess Consort Xiang frolicked under the sea for a long time, even making the woman explode several times, only barely quelling the flames within his heart.

Yet he hadn’t anticipated Yi Hongchen taking swift action.

The next morning, Yi Hongchen issued an imperial edict, appointing the former Sect Leader of the Yuncang Sword Sect, Lu Chengfeng, as Regent King, allowing him to enter the court without approaching, to wield the sword in the hall, to not identify in the edict, and to not name during homage, being able to involve himself in all matters, great or small, within the Dynasty.

Upon the news spreading, the world erupted, countless heroes, noble families, and officials feeling indignant and uneasy.

"How could a fugitive suddenly turn into a Regent King, who is he to deserve this?"

"I say he’s must have bewitched the Empress with sweet words, otherwise how could she issue such a decree."

"Hmph, I’ll go meet him myself."

Even before Lu Chengfeng appeared, many were already bearing hostility and malice towards him. Of course, while some of this was due to jealousy, most major powers were more concerned with potential conflicts of interest.

Though Yi Hongchen was exalted, the Empress of the entire Taiwu Celestial Dynasty, she rarely involved herself in political affairs, almost everything delegated to the Prime Minister, the Grand Commandant of the Imperial Secretariat, and the Grand Commandant.

The Prime Minister governed court politics, the Grand Commandant controlled the empire’s military forces, while the Grand Commandant of the Imperial Secretariat supervised officials, the three balancing each other. With the Empress above all and ruling with minimal interference, this led to the current situation.

But the addition of a Regent King, who could enter court without approaching, carry a sword in the hall, not be named in the edict, and involve himself in all matters, great or small, naturally altered the situation.