Adult Tang Dynasty: I, the Scoundrel, Fully Support the Empress

Chapter 22: “Be gentle, that hurts!”

Back in the Tang Dynasty, being full-figured was considered the height of beauty.

But this wasn’t the kind of obesity that looked sluggish or oversized—it meant a soft, curvy figure with just the right amount of fullness.

Even in modern times, everyone knew that a little extra weight in the right places was perfection. After all, even an idiot could tell that a twig-thin branch couldn’t bear fruit. If it did, it had to be some kind of scam!

And Guan Yinbi’s body was the epitome of perfection.

At that moment, she was lying flat on the bed, her curves on full display. Every inch of her was smooth and shapely, accentuated beneath the sheer silk draped over her. The faint outline of her fair, flawless back was visible through the delicate fabric, making her look impossibly alluring.

Especially those hips—they were like something straight out of a painting.

As Su Yang massaged her, his hands moving expertly over her skin, he kept a close watch on her. When he realized she had dozed off, his courage swelled, his thoughts running wild.

“What was Li Er even thinking?”

“Guan Yinbi is breathtaking—every curve in the right place.”

“And yet, he barely pays her any attention. I bet he hasn’t visited her chambers in ages.”

Su Yang couldn’t help but mutter to himself. It wasn’t even a secret in Chang’an anymore—everyone knew the Emperor’s heart belonged to Consort Wei.

And that was the truth.

Later, when Guan Yinbi passed away, the very first thing Li Er did was try to make Consort Wei his Empress. That alone showed just how deep his obsession ran.

With that thought in mind, Su Yang’s hands started to stray, slowly sliding lower from her delicate back.

He didn’t know how much time had passed, but at some point, he had crossed the line.

The sensation alone made him suck in a sharp breath. If he weren’t afraid of waking her, he swore he would have gone even further.

“Mmm…”

“Su Yang, what are you doing?”

“Be gentle…”

“That hurts…”

Just as he was lost in the moment, Guan Yinbi’s eyelids fluttered open, and she let out a soft murmur, her voice laced with drowsiness. She shifted slightly, as if uncomfortable.

She was still groggy, lost in a half-asleep haze. If she had been fully awake, she would have instantly realized something was off. She would have known that Su Yang was doing something way out of line.

“Sorry.”

“I got a little distracted.”

Su Yang broke into a cold sweat. He hadn’t won her over completely yet. If she caught onto what he was doing, the consequences would be unthinkable.

His mind raced. He had to come up with a way to make his little advances feel natural—so natural that she couldn’t resist, wouldn’t even think to push him away.

…

A few days later.

The Imperial Academy’s academic examination had arrived.

And that meant one thing—Su Yang’s literary duel with Prince Li Tai was officially underway.

The atmosphere was tense.

Everyone—from the scholars at the academy to the high-ranking officials in court—was paying close attention. But no one seemed the least bit worried about the outcome.

It was a foregone conclusion.

Prince Li Tai was practically guaranteed to crush Su Yang with ease.

“This year’s exam is simple,” one of the academy’s esteemed scholars announced, standing at the front of the hall.

“All you need to do is describe your perspective on life experiences.”

On the surface, it seemed easy. But there was a catch.

Each student had to express their thoughts in the form of a poem—one that perfectly captured their understanding of life’s journey.

And that was no small feat.

As soon as the prompt was given, many of the students looked troubled. Most of them were still young. They barely had any real-life experience to draw from. To condense profound wisdom into just a few lines of poetry? It was as difficult as climbing to the heavens.

Even Prince Li Tai, who had studied under some of the greatest literary minds of the early Tang Dynasty, furrowed his brows slightly.

But he was a genius.

After a brief moment of contemplation, he picked up his brush and began to write.