Chapter 27 Part 1
In the past few days, he had been feeling a bit restless.
Due to strict upbringing from his father since childhood, and the transition from the battlefield where only men and ghosts existed to the treacherous court, he had been entirely preoccupied with state affairs for these few years. He had never had a moment to think about matters of romance… but now, for the first time, he had a wet dream.
The light in the dream was all a hazy red, incense smoke lingering, curtains drawn, leaving only a silhouette that provoked imagination.
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Rd y eygl, bl pvsse cu vbl clepkel. Tl bye cyalzu vyjld vos pvlrp qsaoyae obld y fyel-obkvl byde rwzzle bkx sdvs vbl cle—vbkp byde oyp clywvkqwz, okvb pzldela yde taynlqwz qkdtlap vbyv blze yd kaalpkpvkczl pvaldtvb.
Mbl cle wdeladlyvb bkx oyp psqv, yp vbswtb pkdjkdt kdvs y nzswe. Tl qlzv pzktbvzu wdnsxqsavyczl yp bl aykple bkp blye, cwv bkp lulp olal nshlale cu vbyv byde. Mbld y jkpp zydele…
Mbl alxykdkdt elvykzp, bl ralqlaale dsv vs xldvksd. Rd vbl lde, bl oyp polrv wr cu vbl jkpp, yde bl vwadle shla, alyeu vs alnkrasnyvl, cwv clqsal bl nswze es yduvbkdt, bl blyae y psqv “Qldlayz.”
Tl oypd’v y tayde tldlayz yduxsal. Mblal oyp sdzu sdl rlapsd kd vbkp osaze obs pvkzz nyzzle bkx vbyv.
Suddenly, he woke up with an abnormal heart palpitation. He gasped for breath in large gulps, clutching his rapidly pounding chest, hunching over.
Who was the person in the dream? The answer was evident.
He actually had such inappropriate thoughts about… about His Majesty. His mind muddled, he felt like he wanted to bash his head against the headboard, apologizing to the person in his dream.
But he couldn’t do that… he consoled himself, blaming it on exhaustion. He just needed to rest.
However, this pattern continued for several days. The young emperor in his dream would undress, revealing a body beneath the dragon robes, wearing the sleepwear he had personally put on him the first time they met. The fabric was pure white, caressing his skin and revealing a glimpse of his fair chest…
Every time he woke up, his heart would race as if trying to burst out of his chest. He would have to take deep breaths, his heart pounding wildly, and he’d inhale the fragrance of the incense in the room in large gulps. It was a faint scent of sandalwood, and he loved it. He summoned a servant to inquire where it came from.
“…This is part of His Majesty’s New Year’s reward. The previous batch just ran out. The maidservant heard that sandalwood has a calming effect, and considering that the Duke’s health hasn’t been good lately, she took the initiative to change it…”
The young maid spoke a bit flustered, unaware that he hadn’t heard anything after she mentioned His Majesty.
Feeling guilty, he had been keeping to himself these days. Besides attending the early court sessions, he had practically shut himself in. He even turned down summons from the Emperor, using his alleged ill health as an excuse…
Until he received a formal proposal from the Prime Minister, indicating that they were proposing a marriage alliance.
Upon hearing the news, the young emperor stormed into his residence without a word. At that moment, he was in the midst of composing a reply letter. He heard the door being forcefully kicked open, causing his pen to quiver and the ink to blot onto the paper.
“Your Majesty…”
“So you’ve been avoiding me these past few days just for this!” The young emperor gritted his teeth, his eyes slightly reddened, as though he had suffered a grievance of great magnitude.
He quickly dismissed the attendants, personally approaching, but just before he could touch the other, he remembered the scenes from his dream. His hand froze mid-air, only to be caught and pulled into an embrace.
“General, you promised to stay by my side…” The young emperor buried his head in his shoulder, his voice slightly muffled, his tone trembling at the end, “You’re not allowed to leave me…”
His body tensed, but his heart softened at the gentle words. He forced a bitter smile and said, “I haven’t left. I’ve just caught a bit of a chill lately and didn’t want to move around…”
“Then why were you avoiding me?”
“I was afraid of infecting you and worrying you, so I had no choice but to keep it from you.”
The young emperor paused for a moment before changing his tone, “So, you’re so fond of the Prime Minister’s daughter?”
“This…” He was momentarily tongue-tied and against his own feelings, he said, “I’m getting older, so it’s about time to… continue the family line.”
The response was far too vague, completely out of character for him. But now, he couldn’t afford to think too much about it. He couldn’t let those emotions continue to ferment. Suppressing them where nobody could see was the best approach.
…The conclusion was that they parted ways without any pleasant feelings.
The young emperor left with reddened eyes. He returned to his desk, looking at the reply letter marred by ink blots, and sighed deeply.
The topic of the marriage proposal was ultimately set aside. Since that day, the young emperor hadn’t approached him again. During court sessions, he would maintain a stern expression. Despite wanting to go over and apologize, he was blocked by his servants who used the excuse of his ill health, leaving him feeling both amused and exasperated.
Time flew by, and half a month had passed, bringing the annual celebration. He, as the Duke of Zhen Guo, sat just below the young emperor, in close proximity.
He paid little attention to the songs and dances that filled the event. Instead, he stole glances at the expressions of the young emperor and admired his unparalleled beauty under the light.
As he watched, he inadvertently drank a few more cups. The wine was slightly sweet at the entrance, with a faint bitterness, but its aftertaste was potent. By the second half of the event, his vision was starting to blur, yet he stubbornly sat there, maintaining an upright posture.
When someone came to toast him, he raised his cup. When no one was around, he lowered his gaze and remained silent.
He persisted through the event like this. By the end, he was seeing double, and in a daze, he heard someone say, “Escort the Duke of Zhen Guo to rest.”
He recognized that voice quite well and immediately relaxed upon hearing it.
However, he had underestimated the potency of the alcohol. Vaguely, he felt someone help him to the bedside. The bedding was incredibly soft, like resting on a cloud, causing him to flip onto his side uncomfortably.
He lay like that for a while, not knowing how much time had passed. He faintly felt someone enter the room, and a portion of the bed sank down.
Instinctively, he furrowed his brow as a sense of caution arose. However, his limbs were powerless due to the alcohol, and even his eyelids could only open slightly. It was all blurry, making it difficult to see clearly.
Feeling a slight weight on him, he instinctively raised his hand to push it away, but it was pressed down once more…
The next sequence of events was like a snapped thread, until he woke up the next day with a pounding headache. He pressed his temples, trying to alleviate the pain for a while before weakly propping himself up.
As his vision gradually returned, he realized he was in a spacious room with bright yellow curtains hanging down. A familiar scent of sandalwood lingered in the air.
He paused for a moment, then suddenly noticed that he wasn’t wearing anything. His naked body emerged from the warm covers, feeling a bit chilly.
This… what in the world…
Before he could make sense of it all, he felt the mattress beneath him move.
“Mmm…”
Someone made a murmuring groan.
The voice was too familiar, causing him to stiffen almost instantly. Summoning courage, he turned his head to look at the face of the person, and he felt like he could faint on the spot.
“Your, Your Majesty…”
His voice trembled violently, almost out of tune.
The Emperor, who was also naked, gradually woke up with drowsy almond-shaped eyes. With a voice that was neither light nor heavy, he called out, “General.”
As if a thunderbolt had struck down from the sky, he almost awkwardly bent his body and dared not look into the other’s eyes. His voice seemed to be stuck in his throat, and his mind was blank, unable to think.
— Until a slender hand gently lifted his chin, revealing the Emperor’s exquisite brows and eyes. In those clear pupils, there was a hint of watery light, yet they were extremely gentle.
His lips softened as the other person leaned in, lightly kissing him between the lips.
“General, for you to hold such feelings towards me, I’m pleasantly surprised,” Emperor Qi said with a smile, his almond-shaped eyes curving. His disheveled black hair cascaded down his shoulders, enhancing the charm of his smile. “Although last night was a bit too forceful, wasn’t it?”
The latter half of his sentence sounded more like a coquettish tone than a complaint. He shuddered all over and hurriedly moved forward to check, but was gently guided into an embrace by the other person.
The moment their naked bodies touched, he could hear his own heartbeat pounding like a drum.
“Your… Majesty…”
“Since we’ve gone this far, General, you must take responsibility for me,” Emperor Qi playfully said, burying his face in his chest. The breath he exhaled was almost scalding his skin.
He took a deep breath, attempting to dispel the dizziness from the hangover. However, his mind remained muddled. “I am at fault, having transgressed against Your Majesty. Please forgive… Mmm!” Caught off guard, he was pulled down, and his chin received a firm bite that made him hiss. He couldn’t recall the second half of his sentence and was suddenly pressed down onto the bed.
Emperor Qi ground his sharp teeth, innocently gazing at him. “Does General dislike me?”
“How could it be…”
“Then it means you like me.” Emperor Qi drew closer and licked the wound on his chin, playfully saying, “If you like me, General, would you accompany me?”
“Your Majesty, we… we…” He caught sight of the bare kiss marks on the emperor’s collarbone, his face turning red. Before he could react, Emperor Qi seized the opportunity and kissed him passionately until they were both breathless and their eyes were hazy, only relenting when words escaped him.
He rarely lost his composure, but now he appeared like an infatuated young boy, thoroughly embarrassed before the person he loved, forfeiting all dignity. Moreover, after indulging in such… intimate acts, Emperor Qi didn’t just overlook it, but rather seemed delighted. Considering this, did it mean that the emperor held similar feelings for him?
His lips involuntarily curled into a slight smile. He rubbed his face, his guilt deepening. He resolved to abstain from drinking.
Subsequent interactions between them remained unspoken yet understood.
Since that night, his leniency towards the young emperor reached new heights. Even when the emperor behaved inappropriately at times, he chose to overlook it. However, the more they grew closer, the more he feared their relationship being exposed. Emperor Qi’s reign had not been perfect, but he had handled matters adeptly. Dissenters couldn’t find any foothold, and the suppressed unrest remained silent and subdued, without any significant disturbances for years…
But what if they catch onto this vulnerability?
He dared not dwell on such thoughts.
However, the other party seemed unconcerned. Emperor Qi’s somewhat naive and indulgent personality, aside from state affairs, had been fostered by him. Yet, now it made him feel uneasy…
So, after the first spring rain of the new year, the iron-clad hooves of the southern barbarians stepped onto the border’s defenses.
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