Chapter 182 - The Fox Is Persuaded To Enjoy A Lazy Morning

Chu Yun woke up slowly, he felt something ticklish on his lower stomach. He tried to ignore the sensation, but it grew more persistent with each moment. He tried to scratch it but his hand came in contact with a head of silky hair.

He opened his eyes reluctantly and found Xiao Zai perched over his lower body, brushing butterfly kisses against the taut skin of his abdomen, cupping the small bump of it.

"Good morning to you too."

Chu Yun fell back on his pillow with a groan. He couldn't believe Xiao Zai had kissed the stomach bug good morning instead of him.

He added it to his growing mental list of grievances with Xiao Zai.

Xiao Zai pulled himself up the bed and fell on his side beside Chu Yun. "Did his Royal Highness the King Consort sleep well?"

Chu Yun rolled his eyes at him and made to get up without answering him. Xiao Zai pushed him back down onto the bed and kissed him on the lips. Chu Yun bit down on his lower lip with a snarl. "Haven't you pawed at me enough?"

Xiao Zai grinned and shook his head, biting the edge of Chu Yun's jaw. "No, I'll never have enough of you."

Chu Yun pushed him away halfheartedly. On the inside he was pleased that Xiao Zai had admitted as much. It meant Chu Yun would have a really easy time making him beg for the privilege of marking him.

He got up from the bed and stretched his arms over his head with a contented sigh. They had slept in today, but tomorrow would be a different story. Xiao Zai had to attend court at least three days out of the week. And once a month common people would be granted audiences to express grievances.

Xiao Zai could make changes as he saw fit, but Chu Yun didn't think he should, at least not right away. In fact, Xiao Zai should refrain from making any reforms of any kind in the first months of his reign. 

His ascension had come as a shock to many, better not to give them any more reason to worry. Any change was frightening to those who benefited most from the status quo -- Xiao Zai should treat everyone he interacted too in the coming weeks, and maybe months, like an easily spooked horse.

As soon as all the excitement died down then the two of them could get to work.

Xiao Zai came up behind him and wrapped him in his arms. "I can hear your brain working," he nipped teasingly at the back of Chu Yun's neck, "come back to bed, we'll regret it if we don't enjoy the free time we have for now."

His determination to act unaffected wavered -- they would be busy very soon. He turned around in Xiao Zai's arms and pushed his finger into his smiling cheek. "Fine, but I want a bath first, I smell terrible."

"You don't," Xiao Zai said, and lifted a naked Chu Yun into his arms, who immediately started struggling to be let down. 

His protests were ignored as Xiao Zai carried him from the bedchamber, through and adjacent room, and finally towards a lavish bathroom.

There was a large pool in the middle of the room, the wooden floorboards reached almost to its edge, making it convenient to walk there. Two bamboo spouts protruded from the floor, pouring a constant stream of bubbling hot water into the pool.

Chu Yun stopped struggling the moment he saw it. Xiao Zai walked into the steaming water with him still in his arms. "Maybe this small amenity can help his Royal Highness overcome the loss of his treasured previous residence."

Chu Yun dove under the water and surfaced with a contented sigh. "Perhaps."

Xiao Zai shot him a winsome smile and stretched his arms over the edge of the pool. "Surely I deserve some reward for leading you to it?"

His reply was a swipe of water to the face. He sputtered for a moment, but before he could retaliate he got a lapful of Chu Yun, so his protests never made it past his lips.

---

After the second bath they took to deal with the consequences of the first, Chu Yun finally managed to disentangle himself from Xiao Zai enough to escape back into the bedchamber and get dressed. 

If he didn't escape soon, Xiao Zai would find some other exciting place for them to fuck in, and Chu Yun could never resist the lure of ill-advised trysts in ill-advised places.

He got dressed into pale silver robes, and did his hair himself, unwilling to call servants into a room that smelled unmistakably of sex, even though they hadn't even done anything on the bed.

He didn't have to venture far out of the King's private quarters, before finding Hua Nanyi pacing the hallways, looking restless.

She brightened up the moment she saw him. "Finally, I thought you were going to sleep until tomorrow."

Chu Yun didn't remark on it or excuse himself. "It's a huge palace, I'm sure you could find something to keep yourself occupied."

Her eyes widened comically. "Are you kidding me? This place is a warzone since morning. The guards have had to keep all the concubines out of the throne room. They demand an audience with the King to learn what will become of them."

They weren't getting one.

No way was Chu Yun letting his father's harem loose on Xiao Zai. He was fully aware of how miserably he had been treated by many of them, and he was sure they would try to use that to their advantage.

"I'll see them myself," Chu Yun said, changing directions towards the throne room. "I'll start with the newest additions and work myself up to the senior concubines. In the meantime, go back to our previous, wonderfully renovated, estate, and ask Gu Wei for a list of all the concubines who fucked with Xiao Zai."

He smirked to himself.. "I'm going to dispense some justice."