TL: Hua
After the banquet, Old Master Su returned to the Su residence still somewhat out of sorts. Old Master Su’s eldest son quickly went to greet him: “Father, what’s wrong?”
Leading his eldest son into the study, Old Master Su sat down: “At today’s imperial banquet, there was a person sitting beside the emperor who appeared to be seven or eight months pregnant. Judging from the emperor’s expression, he was very intimate with this person.”
“When did the imperial harem welcome a noble person, and one who is already seven or eight months pregnant?” Old Master Su’s eldest son was also greatly surprised.
Old Master Su sighed: “That person was dressed in men’s clothes, with a bulging belly, sitting beside the emperor. Their appearance was exquisite and beautiful, making me feel deeply familiar, but perhaps due to old age, I simply can’t remember where I’ve seen them.”
“Seven or eight months pregnant, it must be a young lady from a certain family. The emperor actually indulged her by letting her wear men’s clothing to the imperial banquet. It seems he truly dotes on her.” Old Master Su’s eldest son changed the subject: “Now, our Lian’er is less than a year old and is somewhat related by blood to the child in that noble’s belly…”
He hadn’t finished speaking, but Old Master Su understood his meaning completely, nodding cautiously: “Some time ago, the emperor made a discreet trip south. Prince Huai was regent. The emperor has only been away from the capital for four or five months, but that noble person appears to be seven or eight months pregnant. Perhaps Prince Huai knows some inside information. Why don’t we have Yanjiang’s wife[mfn]Referring to his daughter-in-law, who is Prince Huai’s sister[/mfn] go to her brother’s place to inquire about the situation?”
“Good. When Yanjiang finishes his duties and returns, I will definitely find an opportunity for him to sound out the princess.” Old Master Su’s eldest son nodded in agreement, then discussed other matters with the old man before leaving.
Old Master Su sighed. Daliang officials, once past sixty, could be advised to retire at any time.
He was now sixty-two, and although the Su family had married a princess, the younger generations were not as capable as their predecessors. He had to find an opportunity to revitalize the Su family.
—
Yin Yanjun was slightly tipsy. By the time he entered Changxin Palace, the young master was already asleep. His eyes were filled with a faint, obscure redness that slowly spread through them.
Instead of sitting down, he knelt by the bed. Yin Yanjun rubbed the young master’s sleeping cheek with his fingertips, trailing his fingers along the cheek, then down to his tender neck and chest…
As the alcohol took effect, Yin Yanjun’s gaze on the young master was intensely hot, unlike anything he usually showed. His entire palm almost slipped into the young master’s clothes when suddenly, the young master groggily stirred.
Beneath his palm was the young master’s body, slightly warmer than an ordinary person’s. Yin Yanjun suddenly sobered from that inexplicable heat and withdrew the hand that had been so lightly touching the young master. The tips of his ears slowly turned red again.
There was a slight swelling pain in his eyes. Yin Yanjun pressed his fingertips against the forehead acupoint and gently rubbed it. Due to the young master’s habits, a glazed palace lantern was placed on the tall stool beside the bed. The soft lamplight gently illuminated the young master’s face. Yin Yanjun blinked, then lowered his head to place a kiss on the smooth forehead, and then slowly moved to the young master’s lips.
When Yin Yanjun stood up from the bedside, he felt a dizzy spell. As he walked out of Changxin Palace, Wen Jing quickly stepped forward to support him: “Your Majesty, where do you intend to rest tonight?”
“Back to Hanliang Palace.” The redness in Yin Yanjun’s eyes hadn’t faded in the slightest. If he stayed in Changxin Palace, he feared he might do something uncontrollable during the night and frighten the young master.
Wen Jing had already ordered someone to prepare sobering soup. After serving the emperor the sobering soup and seeing him bathe, he finally withdrew from Hanliang Palace.
All the lights in the hall were extinguished. Yin Yanjun sat on the dragon bed for a moment before slowly lying down. His eyes were half-open, half-closed, and his robe was slightly open at the chest, bearing an uncharacteristic sense of abandon.
Wen Jing, who was guarding outside the hall, constantly paid attention to the movements inside. He listened by the door for a long time, and only when no unusual sounds came from within did he finally relax.
The emperor’s state these past few days was clearly off; it seemed the time for the “love poison” to act up was approaching again. And at this time, Young Master Xu was not only oblivious but also heavily pregnant…
Wen Jing sat down outside the hall. All he could do now was hope that the Chief Imperial Physician would quickly develop an antidote. It had been six or seven years already; why was there no progress from the Imperial Physician’s office? He truly understood the saying “The emperor is not anxious, but the eunuch is” from storybooks. His master was suffering, so how could he not be anxious?!
—
Yin Yanjun, after suffering for half the night, finally managed to fall asleep peacefully. On the other hand, the young master had a somewhat restless sleep. Perhaps due to the imperial banquet, in his dream, the Taoist Master actually married Princess Jinshu of the Xiling Kingdom.
Then, at another moment, it was his mother, after his father cheated in his previous life, furiously scolding him that he would also grow up to be an irresponsible scumbag…
It was not until the next day, when Yin Yuanshuang came to spend time with the young master, that she discovered that the young master looked listless.
“Didn’t sleep well last night?” Look, that bright, round face wasn’t as exquisite and beautiful as usual.
The salted fish sighed, “Plagued by nightmares, I’m truly having a tough time.”
“No way!” Yin Yuanshuang widened her eyes. She just wanted to gently provoke the ostrich-minded young master; she didn’t want him to become so anxious and worried. “Come on, come on, tell this princess what’s on your mind.”
Suffering alone was still suffering. The salted fish hesitated for a moment, then spoke: “Last night I dreamed that the Taoist Master married a wife, but unfortunately, the bride wasn’t me. That’s not even the most crucial part. The most crucial part is that I also dreamed someone was scolding me for being a fickle, unreliable scoundrel…”
Yin Yuanshuang moved the stool closer to Young Master Xu and said earnestly, “Don’t rush; let’s analyze this bit by bit. First, tell me, how did you feel when the emperor decided to keep Princess Jinshu yesterday?”
“It was a little bit sour and astringent,” the salted fish young master said, rubbing his chin and thinking for a moment. “But that feeling was only slight. It was mostly an inexplicable anger, though this anger didn’t seem to be directed at the Taoist Master or Princess Jinshu.” It was just baseless anger.
“Hmm, young master, do you think this counts as your possessiveness towards the emperor? Since it’s not directed at the emperor nor at Princess Jinshu, then you’re simply rejecting the idea of the emperor marrying. Doesn’t this precisely demonstrate your possessiveness towards him?” In the end, it was because Young Master Xu had fallen for the emperor, which led to such strong possessiveness.
The salted fish was utterly dejected, but as soon as the word “possessiveness” was uttered, his heart seemed to beat faster, as if his secret thoughts had been exposed.
Yin Yuanshuang naturally understood the principle of gradual progress, so when she saw the young master’s unusual expression, she very tactfully changed the subject: “Then let’s talk about being scolded in your dream!”
“Did someone once say that you were irresponsible and fickle?” Yin Yuanshuang asked, propping her chin.
The salted fish seemed to still be immersed in the shock of having his secret thoughts exposed. It wasn’t until Yin Yuanshuang repeated the question three times that he slowly hummed in affirmation.
“Actually, I think you don’t need to worry so much. It’s precisely because you have this kind of worry that it proves you are a very responsible person.” Although Yin Yuanshuang had never truly fallen for anyone, she had heard her mother mention many times through observation, “Only good people worry about becoming bad. Truly bad people never consider whether their actions are good or evil.”
The salted fish young master nodded in strong agreement: “Princess is indeed perceptive. If you ever run out of money in the future, you could open a ‘Trouble-Solving Hall’ in the capital, specializing in solving people’s worries.”
“Young Master Xu, you’re only good with your mouth. If you had the guts to go directly to the emperor and pin him down, you wouldn’t have to worry about all these messy things,” Yin Yuanshuang rolled her eyes at the young master without any pretense. “Besides, ordinary people can’t afford this princess to solve their worries and dispel their doubts.”
“That’s right, then Princess could make the ‘Trouble-Solving Hall’ exclusively for wealthy officials and nobles. Wouldn’t you make a fortune that way?” The salted fish directly ignored Princess Jing’an’s previous rebellious remarks, applauding her latter statement. It was truly a good way to make money.
Yin Yuanshuang nodded in agreement, then extended both hands to Young Master Xu: “You are the legitimate second son of the dignified Marquis Wu’an, naturally a powerful and influential young master. You should give more rewards.”
Young Master Xu immediately looked mournful, his small face pitiful: “Now I’m living under someone else’s roof, truly pitiful. Princess, can you see if you can lend me some…”
“No need for credit at all. I’ll go ask the emperor for money.” Princess Jing’an proudly lifted her chin: “And one more thing, you are a friend of this Princess Jing’an, so you don’t need to fear anyone. If all else fails, there’s still the emperor. He definitely won’t let anyone bully you.”
Giving the ostrich-like young master a knowing look, Yin Yuanshuang clapped her hands and stood up: “Today I have an appointment to visit Princess Jinshu of Xiling Kingdom, so I won’t play with you anymore.”
With that, the noble Princess Jing’an walked away, quite heartlessly.
The salted fish continued to nest in the reclining chair, clearly trying to clear his mind, yet he couldn’t help but recall Princess Jing’an’s audacious remarks.
He couldn’t help but gently pat his belly. The young master was naturally not a fool. He had fallen for the Taoist Master, thus viewing the Taoist Master as his own, and therefore developed a strong possessiveness towards him…
That’s right, the Taoist Master was such a good person, it was normal for him to fall for the other party, but… Xu Yanqing lowered his head and gently patted his round belly again, then shook his head. Forget it, forget it, just lie flat and let nature take its course!
It’s just falling in love, just having someone he likes. What’s so scary about that? A wife, child, and warm bed should be a joyous matter!
“What are you thinking about, so engrossed?” By the time the salted fish young master woke up from his complicated emotions of entanglement, relief, and finally acceptance, one of his ears had already been “captured.”
Glaring at Mu Yu for not giving a timely heads-up, the salted fish’s beautiful face quickly showed an ingratiating smile: “Mother, you’re here. Why are you pinching my ear?”
Lady Su smiled gently: “What, I, as a mother, can’t pinch my son’s ear anymore?”
“No, no, no, if you want to pinch your son’s ear, your son will obediently lean over so as not to tire your hand,” the salted fish young master chuckled.
Lady Su released her silly son’s ear and sat down in a nearby chair, exuding the gentle and dignified demeanor exclusive to a marquis’s wife: “You’re quite famous now, being so intimate with the emperor in front of envoys from various kingdoms…”
Intimate? When did that happen? Why don’t I know? The salted fish looked bewildered.
Her youngest son, so foolish, was easily tricked away. Lady Su, annoyed, raised her hand and pinched the young master’s round cheek: “Tell your mother, in such a grand setting yesterday, why did you lose your sense of propriety and go to the imperial banquet?”
The young master grimaced, pitifully tugging at his mother’s sleeve: “Mother, now I understand what it means to choose friends carelessly. Yesterday, I was truly tricked by Princess Jing’an. She clearly said we were going to watch dancers perform…”
“That’s your own fault. There’s no limit to how much you can do to watch the dancers dance. I’m afraid you’re just worried…” As for what he was worried about, Lady Su stared at her youngest son’s prominently bulging belly. What else could he be worried about? Naturally, it was the child’s other father.
“Hmm?” The young master looked up at his mother in confusion, then suddenly remembered something: “Did Father not come today?”
Mentioning Marquis Wu’an, Lady Su’s expression became even more complex: “Your father said his hands have been itching lately, so he’s going to spar with the emperor.”
Sparring was naturally just an excuse. Marquis Wu’an was just angry because he originally had high hopes for his stupid son.
After all, as long as his silly son remained oblivious, the emperor would have a headache. Who knew that in just a few days, the emperor had tricked his silly son into attending the imperial banquet, making him so angry that he couldn’t sleep all night? As soon as dawn broke, he started clamoring to spar with the emperor.
Anyway, the imperial banquet was already over, and all matters to be discussed had long been settled. There was no need for the emperor and the foreign envoys to gather every day.
And so, Marquis Wu’an “invited” the emperor to the training ground.
Marquis Wu’an was skilled in using broadswords, but fighting (sparring) with the emperor naturally couldn’t involve weapons. So he simply took off his upper garment, intending to teach the “scoundrel” who had “devoured” his son a lesson with his bare hands.
Yin Yanjun changed into a tight-fitting uniform. His cold and aloof eyes still carried faint traces of redness, as if he hadn’t slept well the night before. Facing the rebellion from Marquis Wu’an, there was no sign of displeasure on his face.
Marquis Wu’an would soon be his father-in-law, and treating a father-in-law in private was naturally different from treating a minister in court.
Wen Jing, standing by “observing the battle,” was clearly anxious, but he pretended to be calm and collected in front of Marquis Wu’an’s prince, as if he wasn’t worried about the emperor at all.
In reality, Wen Jing wished he could quickly go to Changxin Palace to call for reinforcements. It was true that the emperor had practiced martial arts since childhood.
But Marquis Wu’an had fought his way through battlefields with his flesh and blood. Even though he was now injured in the leg and couldn’t go to war, he was still not someone the emperor could take risks with.
“Speaking of which, Xianzhi seems to have never seen Your Majesty in action. Today, we can finally feast our eyes,” Xu Xianzhi silently stood a little closer to Wen Jing, his burly figure completely blocking Wen Jing’s path.
What a joke! The emperor’s status was so noble. If he were a difficult person, even if he bullied Ah Qing, what could they say? It was rare for the emperor to be so lenient today. His father had to have a good fight with the emperor to feel satisfied. Xu Xianzhi even wished he could pull his father down and go in himself.
So, Marquis Wu’an and his son were shamelessly and openly “taking advantage of the emperor’s favor.”
Wen Jing was helpless. He could only silently chant in his heart: Your Majesty, take care.
Bare-handed combat was indeed exhilarating. Yin Yanjun felt as if he had vented all the accumulated turbulent emotions of this period.
*
The salted fish young master naturally couldn’t care less about the stormy events at the training ground. He only felt that his Changxin Palace was exceptionally lively today.
Pitifully nestled in the reclining chair, the salted fish young master took a sip of the warm water Mu Yu handed him. So, what was the situation with the Grand Princess, who was laughing and chatting with his mother over there?
The Grand Princess had married early, so even though Xu Xianzhi was a year older than Yin Yuancheng, the Grand Princess was actually two or three years younger than Lady Su.
“His Majesty had previously ordered me to find a nanny who could nurse the body, so I guessed that something happy would happen to him. It turned out to be for young master Xu. It’s also a credit to His Majesty for keeping it so well hidden.” Although she was extremely shocked that Young Master Xu, as a man, was pregnant, all the shocking had already happened yesterday.
Today, the Grand Princess, having composed herself, still maintained her noble and dignified appearance, but her eyes held a faint smile, making her appear exceptionally approachable.
Lady Su had known about this Grand Princess since her maiden days, but her status was too low to enter the palace, so she had never really spoken to the Grand Princess. This was actually the first time the two had sat together and chatted idly.
When it came to the child in the young master’s belly, Lady Su was initially a bit uncomfortable, but the Grand Princess was a clever person. In a few words, she began discussing parenting with Lady Su.
And so, once the two mothers started chatting, the young master himself had to take a backseat.
The bare-handed combat in the training ground finally ended, much to Wen Jing’s trepidation. Marquis Wu’an naturally wouldn’t risk his life fighting the Emperor.
However, he did manage to land a few light punches on the emperor, just enough to vent his frustration.
After taking a few punches, Yin Yanjun’s face was still cold and indifferent, showing no emotion. His neat, tight-fitting uniform made his already refined and ethereal face appear sharper, and his straight back made his figure appear even more slender and elegant.
Xu Xianzhi couldn’t help but sigh: the emperor is truly heroic and handsome, with a face like jade. It’s likely his brother was captivated by the emperor’s charm and lost his heart.
Marquis Wu’an’s prince thus unintentionally stumbled upon the truth. The salted fish young master, nestled in his reclining chair, let out a muffled sneeze.
By the time Lady Su began discussing marriage with the Grand Princess, the few people who were “sparring” finally returned.
The salted fish young master stared at the Taoist Master in his tight-fitting uniform, blinking, and silently marveled. So, the Taoist Master’s waist was actually this slender.
Seeing his silly son in this state, Marquis Wu’an grunted unhappily. Old sayings claimed that only married daughters would turn their elbows outwards[mfn]“胳膊肘往外拐” (gēbo zhǒu wǎng wài guǎi), which literally translates to “elbow turning outward,” is a saying used to criticize someone for favoring outsiders over their own family, group, or team. [/mfn], but how did even his son learn this behavior now? And just a while ago, he seemed so oblivious, but now his eyes were practically glued to the emperor.
“Greetings to the Emperor.” Upon hearing the noise, Lady Su and the Grand Princess rose to bow to the emperor.
“No need for formalities.” Yin Yanjun casually raised a hand, allowing them to rise, and then walked directly to the young master’s side.
Marquis Wu’an’s family did not stay for a meal this time. Perhaps having fought, much of the frustration in Marquis Wu’an’s heart had dissipated. When he left, he no longer had that feeling of an increasingly angry father-in-law looking at his son-in-law.
After all, the emperor was still the emperor. Even if his silly son and the emperor were now close, he couldn’t truly treat the emperor as a son-in-law. In the end, there were no fathers and sons in the imperial family. Marquis Wu’an only hoped that the emperor would treat his silly son better in the future.
—
In the evening, Xu Yanqing held a bottle of medicine and peeked around the door of the side hall, thinking he was well-hidden. The young master kicked his foot at the doorway, his face showing some hesitation.
Yin Yanjun, who was reviewing memorials, found it somewhat amusing. He raised his eyes and waved at the half-hidden young master: “Young master, what are you doing over there?”
Discovered, the salted fish young master slowly walked into the hall and sat down at the desk. His bright, clear eyes were fixed on the Taoist Master.
Yin Yanjun’s eyelashes trembled slightly, feeling a bit uncomfortable under the young master’s burning gaze, but he didn’t speak, allowing the young master’s scorching gaze to linger on him.
A moment later, the salted fish young master shook his head and suddenly came to his senses. He squeezed the medicine bottle in his hand and said, “I heard Mother say that Father came to the palace today to spar with the Taoist Master?”
Yin Yanjun looked up at the slightly uneasy young master and sighed softly. The young master was now eight months pregnant; kneeling like this would not be comfortable.
So he helped him up and settled him in a chair: “I know Marquis Wu’an’s temperament best. He knows his limits, and I naturally won’t argue with him over this.”
There was more to it than just this meaning. Xu Yanqing’s gaze fell on the Taoist Master again. He always felt that the Taoist Master was soft and weak, and his father could knock him down with one punch. So the young master hardened his heart and gritted his teeth: “Did my father hurt you, Taoist Master? I brought medicine.”
The young master was afraid that his words would embarrass the Taoist Master and make the thin-skinned Taoist Master feel embarrassed to speak up.
So he proactively raised his hand and pulled open the Taoist Master’s clothes, not giving the Taoist Master time to think about messy things, thus preventing any shame.
Yin Yanjun’s clothes were roughly pulled open by the young master, revealing a strong and powerful chest. It was clear that the Emperor was not as frail and delicate as the young master had imagined.
Instantly, the rogue young master’s gaze fell on the Taoist Master’s chest, covered with a thin layer of muscle; his behavior was like that of a beast.
So the young master brazenly and shamelessly examined the Taoist Master from head to toe, finally discovering two red marks on the Taoist Master’s waist and back. He had to admit that his father’s strength was indeed well controlled, without any criminal intent of insubordination.
He took out the ointment specially “scavenged” from Young Doctor Qi and carefully applied it to the red marks on the Taoist Master’s body.
Yin Yanjun’s entire body was tense, the tips of his ears slightly red, and the faint traces of redness in his eyes reappeared.
By the time the young master had finished applying the ointment, Yin Yanjun’s forehead was already covered in fine beads of sweat. His slightly hot palm lifted and gently kneaded the young master’s chubby cheek.
The salted fish young master blinked in confusion. Why was his face being kneaded again? Would his face get fatter and fatter like this? The salted fish was sad.
“These two days, I’ll be sending off the foreign envoys, so I might be quite busy. I’ll just stay in Hanliang Palace directly. If there’s anything that needs to be handled, you can simply arrange for Wen Jing to do it,” Yin Yanjun’s originally clear and cold voice took on an unsuppressable low tone. This was the first time he had openly shown such an unrestrained gaze towards the young master while the young master was awake.
“Alright!” The salted fish nodded in agreement. He felt that the Taoist Master was a bit strange today. Could it be that his father had hit him too hard? The salted fish secretly speculated.
And so, when the young master hadn’t seen Taoist Master Xuanchen for three days, he finally sensed that something was amiss. Before, when envoys from various kingdoms came, the Taoist Master wasn’t this busy. Why was he so busy now that they were leaving?
It felt strange no matter how he thought about it. The salted fish young master quickly called his clever and resourceful friends to Changxin Palace, and thus Princess Jing’an and Young Doctor Qi held their first meeting as the young master’s “thinking factory.”
Young Marquis Yin, who was currently discussing marriage with the Chu family’s young lady, was temporarily and considerately excluded by the young master, mainly because he was afraid of delaying Young Marquis Yin’s efforts to please the Chu family’s young lady. After all, getting married was a big deal that couldn’t be delayed.
The “thinking factory” was all seated. The salted fish young master posed a very serious question: “I think Taoist Master seems to be avoiding me!” He had had a similar feeling not long ago, but this time he was even more convinced.
“Thinking Factory Member No. 1, Young Doctor Qi, propped his chin: “Too few clues, elaborate.”
Thinking Factory Member No. 2, Princess Jing’an, nodded: “Yes, yes, what have you found amiss recently?”
The salted fish young master: “I haven’t seen Taoist Master for three days.” This had never happened before.
Yin Yuanshuang’s expression remained unchanged: “I thought you were going to say three months!” Isn’t three days of not seeing someone quite normal?
Young Doctor Qi, who lived in the palace all day and had been by the young master’s side since he was recuperating in Xu Family Village, was very familiar with the situation: “Now that all the foreign envoys have returned, logically, the emperor shouldn’t be that busy.” After all, no matter how busy he was before, the emperor never forgot to come and check on the young master.
So Young Doctor Qi and the young master held the same view: this situation was very abnormal.
Yin Yuanshuang decisively declared, “Why don’t we call Wen Jing and ask? No matter how much we speculate here, it’s better to just ask clearly!”
After all, it had taken the emperor so many years to get this one young master; it could even be considered an old tree blossoming. It’s impossible for the emperor’s feelings to change, so Thinking Factory Member No. 2 only worried that the emperor was troubled by something.
Young Doctor Qi nodded: “I agree with the princess’s idea. The chief eunuch is with the emperor all day and must know everything about his affairs, but I’m worried that the chief eunuch might not tell us the truth.”
Yin Yuanshuang raised an eyebrow, looking at the secretly worried young master, and said meaningfully to Qi Chen, “Then you underestimate our Young Master Xu’s position in the emperor’s heart.”
The young master looked up blankly. Weren’t they trying to find a solution? How did it get to him?
The Thinking Factory’s final decision was to have Young Master Xu personally ask Wen Jing. Yin Yuanshuang clapped her hands and neatly took her leave: “I have an appointment with Jinshu, so I’ll go first. I’ll bring Jinshu to the palace another day to see you.”
Before, it was “Princess Jinshu of Xiling Kingdom” with every other word, but now it has become the intimate “Jinshu.” The young master had chosen his friends carelessly; Princess Jing’an was definitely a heartless player.
So the young master pitifully looked at Young Doctor Qi on the other side. Unfortunately, Young Doctor Qi had recently become engrossed in studying medicine with the Chief Imperial Physician and also walked away, patting his butt.
The salted fish young master was truly “lonely and desolate.” In the end, he could only ask his precious Mu Yu to fetch Wen Jing.
—
Wen Jing had probably anticipated this, so when he stood before the young master, he immediately put on a mournful face: “Young master, if you truly want to know the truth from your servant, you must remember to protect your servant then; otherwise, your servant will be beaten to death by the emperor.”
Being beaten to death, of course, was impossible, but being thrown into a dungeon and beaten once was not easy either. Wen Jing was suffering!
The salted fish young master blinked and said very considerately, “How about this, chief eunuch? You don’t have to say anything. I’ll guess, and if I guess correctly, you just nod.”
Wen Jing decisively nodded. It was a good method.
The young master sat up from the reclining chair: “First question, is the Taoist Master very busy lately?”
Wen Jing shook his head. Recently, the emperor had been either attending court or holed up in the imperial study dealing with memorials. There wasn’t much else.
Rubbing his chin, the young master continued to ask, “Then is the Taoist Master being held back by someone or something?”
Wen Jing continued to shake his head.
After asking several questions, Wen Jing kept shaking his head. Finally, the young master’s eyes showed a hint of understanding and worry: “Has Taoist Master’s ‘love poison’ acted up?”
Wen Jing nodded sharply.
“Taoist Master is afflicted with ‘love poison.’ Has he been enduring it like this all these years without seeking an imperial physician?” Xu Yanqing’s expression was slightly complex.
Wen Jing finally spoke: “Of course he has. The chief imperial physician of the Imperial Academy of Medicine has always been developing an antidote for the emperor’s ‘love poison,’ but after all these years, there hasn’t been much progress. So, whenever the ‘love poison’ acts up, he stays at Lingyun Temple for a short period.”
“Where is Taoist Master now? In Hanliang Palace or Lingyun Temple?” The salted fish young master now clearly understood his own complicated thoughts.
Because of his overflowing admiration, his heart was concerned about the Taoist Master, and it was precisely because of this concern that he was now worried about the Taoist Master in every way.
He waved his hand, telling Wen Jing to return to serve the Taoist Master first. The salted fish young master then lazily nestled back into the reclining chair. He needed to think of a good plan.
However, nesting in the reclining chair wasn’t comfortable at all. The salted fish seemed to suddenly remember something and abruptly sat up from the reclining chair. He found his “hidden stash,” a small bundle deep in the wardrobe.
Inside were the Taoist Master’s cloak and wooden hairpin, as well as the storybook given to him by Lady Song of Yunxiang Tower. Because the content of the storybook was too unrestrained, he had secretly put it away at the time, but now it came in handy.
After telling Mu Yu to guard outside, the salted fish young master, blushing, opened the storybook. After a couple of glances, he couldn’t help but pat his hot cheeks, then picked up the warm water placed nearby and gulped it down. Only then did the sudden feeling of agitation in the young master’s heart subside.
The salted fish young master, almost steamed by himself, read the storybook back and forth several times, then secretly put it away and hid it in the wardrobe.
—
Hanliang Palace, where the Emperor resided, was not too far from Changxin Palace, but considering the young master’s belly was now over eight months pregnant, Wen Jing specially had the palace attendants prepare a sedan chair to carry the young master all the way to the entrance of Hanliang Palace.
Waving his hand to dismiss the eunuchs, Wen Jing nervously leaned towards Young Master Xu, looking at his prominently bulging belly, and couldn’t help but worry: “Young master, will this work?”
The salted fish was also secretly worried, but since he was already here, it would be embarrassing to go back!
So Young Master Xu confidently waved his hand: “Chief Eunuch, don’t worry. If anything happens, this young master will take the lead. I definitely won’t let Taoist Master beat you.”
Wen Jing’s face was bitter. He felt that it was no longer about getting a beating but about having his life taken. However, as the young master said, since they were already here, they might as well try.
So he mustered his courage and pushed open the door, then pitifully stood guard outside. Of course, Wen Jing wasn’t the only one serving by the emperor’s side.
But the people hiding in the dark didn’t make a move, which meant that the emperor had already instructed those hidden guards not to guard against the young master.
It was almost late autumn now, and the night wind was quite cold. Wen Jing listened to the movements inside, paced around the doorway a few times, and finally sat down pitifully on the steps outside the palace, shivering as the wind blew.
Hanliang Palace truly lived up to its name as the Taoist Master’s sleeping quarters. Both the decorations and everything else looked as restrained and subtle as the Taoist Master himself. Xu Yanqing wasn’t in the mood to look around much. He simply bravely walked forward under the lamplight and soon saw the legendary dragon bed.
It didn’t seem particularly special, but it was called the dragon bed because the emperor slept on it. The yellow curtains were drawn, concealing the sleeping emperor inside.
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