Chapter 13: Children Choose—I Am the Emperor!

"The Empress Dowager has arrived!"

Just after morning court, Li Chen was having lunch when the eunuch’s voice sounded outside.

He was not unfamiliar with the Empress Dowager, but neither was he well-acquainted with her.

In the past, they had met only occasionally; recently, over the past few days, they had interacted more due to the coronation.

"It seems I’ve come at an inopportune time—have I disturbed His Majesty’s meal?"

The Empress Dowager spoke softly, her entire being exuding the distinctive allure of a mature woman.

At her fully ripened age, every curve of her body was irresistibly captivating.

The women of the palace cared most about their appearance and figure.

The Empress Dowager’s figure had been maintained for countless years.

Every gesture and movement seemed brimming with endless temptation.

Especially her full bosom, which invited boundless imagination—this was precisely why Li Chen’s gaze remained so clear when outside; he had endured great trials.

After speaking these words, the Empress Dowager waved her hand, and all the palace maids and eunuchs withdrew, closing the door behind them.

She had dismissed them because she intended to set a trap for Li Chen, and wished to prevent word from spreading.

Li Chen was bewildered: I’m eating hot pot—don’t you think closing the door is too hot?

Without hesitation, the Empress Dowager sat down beside Li Chen.

She was about to speak, but was immediately drawn in by the food before her.

"Your Majesty, what is this? Why is it bubbling?"

Li Chen had eaten for lunch a hot pot he had developed from memory.

Around him, the air was thick with the steaming aroma of meat, instantly awakening the most primal appetite.

In the pot, red oil churned violently, golden oil bubbles rising constantly, then bursting with a soft “pop-pop” sound.

Inside, thin slices of fresh beef, as delicate as cicada wings, each with clear marbling and tender texture.

"This is called hot pot."

As he spoke, Li Chen picked up a slice of beef with his chopsticks; the meat juice instantly overflowed, dripping onto the broth’s surface and creating delicate ripples—the richness and freshness of the juice seemed capable of melting the taste buds instantly.

The emerald-green vegetables, washed in the red oil, had become even more vivid and enticing, interwoven with beef, tofu, and other ingredients into a perfect harmony.

This hot pot base was Li Chen’s own fourteenth-generation recipe—so good it satisfied even him, and thus certainly no ordinary creation.

After all, he had once been a prince, cooped up in the palace, cultivating and studying such things.

Li Chen noticed the Empress Dowager’s eyes fixed on the meat on his chopsticks, and casually said: "Would you like some?"

The Empress Dowager swallowed hard and replied: "How could I possibly accept such an honor?"

Yet her beautiful eyes seemed to tell Li Chen: urge me again, and I’ll eat it immediately.

At this moment, she had completely forgotten the reason she had come.

After all, she had been waiting for news and had not yet eaten lunch.

To maintain her figure, she avoided oily and spicy foods, eating only bland meals.

The flavor of the hot pot had awakened her deepest cravings.

"Today’s ingredients were prepared in excess—there may be leftovers. Throwing them away would be wasteful."

"Very well, since His Majesty says so, I shall help His Majesty finish some of it—food must not be wasted."

With this excuse, the Empress Dowager’s appetite overcame her restraint, and she eagerly picked up her chopsticks.

Under Li Chen’s guidance, she used her chopsticks to place a piece of meat into the pot.

After swirling it a few times in the broth, an even richer aroma rose.

As if the meat and the hot pot had undergone some magical reaction.

When Li Chen said it was ready, the Empress Dowager could not wait to taste it.

The moment she bit down, succulent beef filled her mouth; the fragrance spread from her tongue to her nostrils, making her entire body feel light and euphoric.

As she chewed slowly, the broth seeping from the meat revealed a depth of flavor that left her longing for more.

Instantly, she was lost in it.

"Your Majesty, this beef must be from the Snow Realm of Jibei, the Snowland Spiritual Yak, correct?"

"Correct. The Snowland Spiritual Yak dwells atop the snowy peaks of Jibei, feeding on ice grass and drinking snowmelt; its meat is exquisitely tender and melts in the mouth. And this tofu—surely it is the Ice Lotus Jade Tofu from Jibei as well."

"Yes. It is made by grinding the sap of the unique Iceheart Lotus of Jibei with soybeans carefully selected from spiritual fields. These ingredients absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth; besides their superior taste, they also enhance cultivation."

The Empress Dowager praised both the ingredients and Li Chen’s refined tastes as she ate.

She asked which master chef had prepared it; upon learning it was Li Chen himself, she was even more awed.

This was the power of having eaten from someone’s hand.

Since the Empress Dowager had ordered the door closed, and the hot pot itself was slightly spicy,

someone accustomed to bland food like her grew hotter and hotter as she ate.

Once one became addicted, one no longer cared for such things.

To relieve the heat, she carelessly loosened her clothing, opening her collar wide.

This left Li Chen, seated beside her, unable to look away—his gaze could not tear itself from the snowy expanse of her cleavage.

!

Li Chen thought: I ate a relatively ‘mild’ version today, using only slight spice—and you can’t even handle it. If I’d used extra spicy, you’d have ripped your clothes off.

Li Chen himself barely ate anything during this lunch; later, it was entirely the Empress Dowager eating, and she was eating without restraint.

Soon, her belly had slightly swelled—only then did she finish.

How delicious was it? Put it this way: the Empress Dowager nearly ate the entire hot pot base.

"Your Majesty, you didn’t come here just to have a meal, did you?"

At Li Chen’s reminder, the Empress Dowager remembered what she had intended to say.

"During your time as prince, did you have anyone special in your heart?"

The Empress Dowager had been setting a trap all along—she had instructed her subordinates to incite the Second and Third Princes to cause trouble, aiming to pressure Li Chen.

If Li Chen felt pressure, he would need a pillar of support—and at that moment, she could extend an olive branch, resolve his troubles, and earn his trust.

Setting aside his imperial status, his Saint Realm cultivation alone was enough to make countless major factions beg for his allegiance.

Any faction possessing a Saint Realm powerhouse stood above all others lacking one.

Thus, wherever Li Chen went, he was an absolute prize.

To cultivate a good relationship with Li Chen, the Empress Dowager had prepared another strategy: the whisper of the pillow.

Do not underestimate this plan—since ancient times, even heroes have fallen before beauty; many emperors were susceptible to it, unless Li Chen were a eunuch.

All the Empress Dowager needed was to place her own people in the palace, preferably to bear Li Chen a child—then she could firmly control him.

She had never intended to harm Li Chen; she merely wished to gain benefits from him.

"No."

Li Chen spoke honestly—he was reclusive; aside from the women of the harem, he had met few others.

But precisely because he had seen so many of them, encountering ordinary women outside held little interest for him.

Hearing this, the Empress Dowager continued: "Now that Your Majesty has ascended the throne, you must begin to produce heirs as soon as possible, to secure the imperial bloodline."

Li Chen wanted to deflect, saying: “You say it—why don’t you handle it yourself?”

But something felt off, so he merely asked: "If you say so, do you have suitable candidates in mind?"

At his words, the Empress Dowager pulled from her sleeve a list she had long prepared.

The list contained ten women’s names, drawn from noble families, meritorious clans, cultivation sects, and vassal kings.

Eight of them were her own people—each woman, in appearance, cultivation, and talent, met her approval.

After all, she sought to win Li Chen’s favor; she had no reason to offer him inferior candidates and risk offending him.

Yet she could not make it too obvious, so she added two more.

These two were famed for their beauty, yet notoriously cold and aloof.

She did not believe Li Chen would choose either of them.

"Your Majesty, which one do you favor? I can summon them to the palace."

This was the Empress Dowager’s tactic—those who dared to be aloof invariably had Saint Realm powerhouses as their backing. Thus, though it appeared a choice, it was in truth a demand.

Who knew Li Chen simply tucked the list into his sleeve, as if to say: Children make choices—I am the Emperor!

(End of Chapter)