Pregnant Salted Fish Chapter 53

TL: Hua

---

The young master lazily sat in the chair, thoroughly amused. It just goes to show, no matter how high your status or how powerful you are outside, any filial son still has to obediently listen to his mother when he returns home, doing whatever she tells him to do.

The round-faced palace maid obediently went to the back kitchen to boil hot water, then brought it over and poured a cup of hot tea for the exquisite young master, placing it on the stone table.

Xu Yanqing shifted his attention from the Taoist Master and beckoned to the palace maid, whispering, “What’s your name?”

The palace maid was a bit lively and interesting by nature and likewise whispered back, “Your humble servant’s name is Hong Luan.”

“What a beautiful name. Did the Empress Dowager give it to you?” The young master blinked, continuing to ask.

The palace maid nodded repeatedly.

“Then how long have you been serving the Empress Dowager?”

“Hmm, almost seven years, I think.” The palace maid was only about fifteen or sixteen years old now. According to the court regulations of Daliang, women must be no younger than eight years old to enter the palace, meaning this palace maid was assigned to serve the Empress Dowager almost immediately upon entering the palace.

Xu Yanqing stroked his chin and mentally counted back seven years. At that time, the Taoist Master had just ascended to the throne.

“Why has the Empress Dowager planted so many vegetables? Can you all finish them normally?” When Xu Yanqing entered Yunhe Palace earlier, he inadvertently glanced around and saw that the lush green vegetables looked very fresh, indicating that the Empress Dowager took excellent care of them.

Hong Luan heard this and said earnestly, “If we can’t finish them, they’re sent to the Imperial Kitchen or to the Grand Princess’s manor. Nothing goes to waste, in any case.”

“That’s right. Taoist Master really loves eating vegetarian food.” The young master propped his chin. Eating vegetarian food every day held no sense of happiness for him. He politely declined the notion, and speaking of it, he wanted fried chicken again.

After finally pressing all the vegetable seedlings into the furrows and instructing her son to use a hoe to pile some soil over the roots of the seedlings, the Empress Dowager turned around and met the gaze of the young master, who was leisurely drinking water.

“Your Majesty, where did you trick this beautiful lady from? Look at this belly; she’s about to give birth, isn’t she!” The Empress Dowager casually plunged her mud-covered hands into a bucket of water to rinse them clean, then quickly walked over to the young master. “Come, come, tell me, did His Majesty trick you into bearing his child? In Yunhe Palace, you don’t have to be afraid of him. I’ll be your advocate.”

“Imperial Mother, don’t scare Qingqing. Besides, Qingqing is a young man, not a young lady.” Yin Yanjun had finished the task the Empress Dowager had assigned him; the hem of his clothes was stained with some mud.

But as he slowly walked from the vegetable patch towards the young master, he still appeared as pure as a gentle breeze, his figure like jade, without a hint of disarray.

The salted fish young master blinked at the Empress Dowager. “Taoist Master has never tricked me.” On the contrary, he himself often got carried away and would playfully tease the Taoist Master, so, by rights, his own mischievousness was greater.

The Empress Dowager also slowly blinked, her gaze, however, falling on the young master’s prominently bulging belly. “Have I been out of the palace for so many years that my vision is failing, or has the world truly reached a point where even young men can bear children?”

The Empress Dowager was puzzled; the Empress Dowager was bewildered.

Yin Yanjun was a little helpless, only to hear the young master explain unreservedly, “Your Majesty, this just goes to show that Taoist Master is a true dragon emperor, gifted by nature.” He then nodded very earnestly.

Seeing a faint blush appear on her son’s ears, the Empress Dowager found it extremely rare. Looking at the young master again, she sensed something meaningful. “Hmm, it’s true that a true dragon emperor is gifted by nature. Perhaps a true phoenix body is also extraordinarily unique.”

The young master’s attempt to tease the Taoist Master backfired, and he was completely stunned by the Empress Dowager’s counterattack. So, the Empress Dowager could be so witty!

It was rare for the young master to meet his match. Yin Yanjun lovingly ruffled the young master’s head, this time being careful with his strength so as not to mess up the young master’s freshly tied hair.

The Empress Dowager’s gaze inadvertently fell upon the two, then she smiled and said, “This child must be eight or nine months old already, right?”

“He’ll be nine months in seven or eight days,” Yin Yanjun said with a gentle gaze. “So I thought I’d bring him to see Imperial Mother.”

The Empress Dowager looked at the young master’s abdomen, her beautiful eyes filled with deep maternal love mixed with a hint of regret: “I wonder if I’ll ever have the chance to see this child born.”

Young Master Xu was a bit bewildered by the Empress Dowager’s words, only feeling the Taoist Master’s grip on his hand tighten slightly.

“Never mind these unhappy things. Since I’m lucid today, you two should stay and have a meal with me!” Saying this, the Empress Dowager suddenly remembered that there was something she seemed to have forgotten.

It wasn’t until the young master looked up, his eyes curved into crescents, that the Empress Dowager found something vaguely familiar about him. She hesitated, looking at her son: “I haven’t had a chance to ask, Your Majesty, from whose family did you abduct this well-behaved young master?”

Although the young master wasn’t “abducted” by him, it was close enough. In any case, his Imperial Mother was now living freely and had learned to let loose, so Yin Yanjun gave the young master a deep look before saying, “Qingqing is the second legitimate son of Marquis Wu’an.”

“Marquis Wu’an? I have some impressions of him. He was the great general who saved your life when Prince Qi tried to usurp the throne, wasn’t he?” Instantly, the Empress Dowager’s gaze towards the young master carried an indescribable sense of guilt.

She then gave her son a complicated look, sighing, “He saved your life, but you repaid his kindness with enmity by ruining his cherished youngest son. Did Marquis Wu’an not lay a hand on you?” Yin Yanjun’s past visits to Yunhe Palace had been somewhat heavy and unpleasant. Now, being teased by his Imperial Mother, he felt a slight unease lingering in his heart.

However, he still sat upright beside the young master, showing no emotion on his face: “Marquis Wu’an is loyal to the throne and loves his country; he would naturally not defy his superior.” They, the monarch and his subject, had merely sparred in the training grounds.

With one hand held by the Taoist Master, the young master simply propped his chin with the other, his lively eyes blinking as he looked at the Taoist Master, watching him calmly recount the events with a serious expression.

The young master knew the truth, but for the sake of his Taoist Master’s dignity, he merely smiled and said nothing.

Since they were already here, they were certainly going to stay for lunch at the Empress Dowager’s place. The Empress Dowager had a separate small kitchen in her palace.

However, the cooks had no experience serving pregnant people, so lunch was brought directly from the imperial kitchen.

More than half of the dishes on the table were ones the young master preferred. The young master was somewhat picky, disliking green vegetables and only caring for heavily seasoned meat dishes.

However, the Taoist Master usually preferred vegetarian dishes. It was only after meeting the young master that he gradually changed his habits. Furthermore, Xu Yanqing always felt that the Taoist Master ate too little meat and must be undernourished, so he never forgot to feed the Taoist Master some dishes he found delicious during every meal.

So, in the Empress Dowager’s palace, the young master initially ate properly and followed the rules. But habit prevailed. After relaxing slightly, he found today’s “Four Joy Meatballs” to be well-made, so he casually picked one up and placed it in the Taoist master’s bowl.

“His Majesty couldn’t eat meat…” Before the Empress Dowager could finish speaking, Yin Yanjun had already opened his mouth, bitten into the meatball, and slowly eaten it, his handsome face showing no change in expression.

Upon hearing this, the young master looked up blankly at the Empress Dowager, then thought of the pile of green vegetables growing in the courtyard. To the somewhat worried Empress Dowager, the young master couldn’t help but earnestly advise, “Empress Dowager, you really shouldn’t only eat vegetarian food; it’s not good for your health.”

“Alright, alright, no picky eating, no picky eating.” The Empress Dowager’s hand trembled slightly as she picked up a piece of braised pork for the young master, then gave another piece to Yin Yanjun.

Under the watchful eye of his Imperial Mother, Yin Yanjun ate the braised pork, then looked up and said calmly, “Imperial Mother, please eat quickly; the dishes will get cold.”

The young master vaguely saw a glimmer of tears in the Empress Dowager’s eyes, but when he looked up again, he saw the Empress Dowager smiling, especially at him, with an exceptionally kind smile.

Xu Yanqing was somewhat perplexed, but given his salted fish mentality, curiosity simply didn’t exist, so he just ate happily with an open appetite.

The Empress Dowager was busy putting food on the young master’s plate. The salted fish, who was happily eating, was stopped by the Taoist Master: “That’s enough. Finish what’s in your bowl, and no more.”

“Alright!” The salted fish young master happily ate the food in his bowl and finally drank a bowl of Aunt Zhao’s specially made health-preserving soup. Today’s lunch was complete.

After the meal, Yin Yanjun accompanied the young master for a walk in the courtyard to aid digestion. Before long, the salted fish felt a wave of drowsiness, and he lazily leaned on the Taoist Master, feeling sleepy.

“When you’re pregnant, your body gets tired easily. If Ah Qing is tired, let him stay here in Yunhe Palace for a nap!” This place was a bit far from Changxin Palace, and the young master probably wouldn’t have the energy to walk back. In fact, the Empress Dowager was very happy today and wanted to keep them for longer.

“Hmm, alright.” Yin Yanjun nodded faintly. He horizontally lifted the young master, who was leaning on him, into his arms. The round-faced palace maid led him to the side hall.

The side hall had not been slept in by anyone yet. Normally, when the Grand Princess entered the palace to accompany the Empress Dowager, she rarely stayed overnight due to special circumstances. For a midday nap, she would naturally sleep directly in the Empress Dowager’s sleeping chambers.

After settling the young master on the bed, Yin Yanjun sat by the bedside and accompanied him for a while before getting up and heading to the front hall.

The Empress Dowager had set up a chess game on the table. Seeing her son approach, she beckoned to him: “It’s rare for Your Majesty to be free today; why don’t you play a game of chess with me?”

Yin Yanjun looked calm and slowly sat down opposite the Empress Dowager: “What does Imperial Mother wish to ask?”

“When did Your Majesty become able to eat meat?” The Empress Dowager hesitated for a moment but still asked. Back then, Consort Gui, relying on the late emperor’s favor, used many tactics to humiliate her child, making the then less than five-year-old crown prince eat only vegetarian food under the guise of praying for his mother. Over time, her child could no longer touch meat and would vomit uncontrollably every time he did.

Yin Yanjun’s bony fingers picked up a black piece and placed it on the chessboard. His voice was calm, with little fluctuation: “The young master has a lazy disposition. Because he didn’t want to cause trouble, he carried his pregnancy and stayed far away in his ancestral home. It just so happened that your son was traveling incognito to the south. Xu Family Village is not like the capital; with limited ingredients, your son ate whatever the young master ate.”

“Ah Qing is a good child,” the Empress Dowager sighed. “When does Your Majesty plan to welcome him into the palace?”

Yin Yanjun was silent for a moment, his long fingers unconsciously fiddling with the black pieces in the chess box. After a long pause, he slowly began, “Once the young master gives birth to the child, I will first confer upon him the title of the Crown Prince and then establish the Empress.”

“What if he is carrying a girl?” The Empress Dowager was somewhat relentless, gazing at her son with a complicated expression.

Yin Yanjun said, “Imperial Mother, don’t forget about the love poison in my body. Whether it’s a boy or a girl, it’s a blessing given to me by the young master. How could I possibly be picky?”

The Empress Dowager looked a little dazed. The chess pieces in her hand scattered on the board, disrupting the entire game. She stood up shakily: “When the young master wakes up, you two can go back!”

Without saying anything more, the Empress Dowager walked into her bedchamber, supported by Hong Luan.

Yin Yanjun’s expression was as calm as ever. He picked up the scattered chess pieces on the board, which were all mixed together, and separated them one by one into two distinct piles of black and white. The jade chess pieces collided, making a crisp sound. The young master was awakened by a burst of crying. He vaguely heard a sound of weeping and felt as if he had had a very sad dream. He opened his eyes blankly and saw the Taoist Master sitting by the bed, meditating with his eyes closed.

“Someone’s crying.” The young master raised his hand and placed it on the Taoist Master’s hand. “Taoist Master, do you hear crying?”

Yin Yanjun squeezed the young master’s fingertips: “Do you want to see who’s crying?”

The young master’s heart brightened, and he looked up: “Is it the Empress Dowager?”

“Imperial Mother said that when you wake up, young master, we can go back,” Yin Yanjun said, embracing him and gently patting his back.

The young master, however, embraced the Taoist Master back, awkwardly patting his back: “Well, we should go and see!”

The Empress Dowager was both valiant and beautiful. The young master didn’t know how much suffering the Taoist Master and his mother endured before his enthronement, but now that they had finally achieved their current life, it would be too regrettable if the Empress Dowager, unable to extricate herself from past sorrow, confined herself within this inner palace.

“Alright, let’s go and see!” Yin Yanjun seemed to be lost in the hazy past for a moment but was instantly jolted awake by the young master pulling his hand.

Hong Luan stood outside the Empress Dowager’s bedchamber, seemingly accustomed to the sounds of weeping coming from within. Seeing the two approach, she timidly raised her arms to block the doorway: “Her Majesty said that Your Majesty and the young master may return.”

“It would be rather impolite to leave without saying goodbye to the Empress Dowager,” the young master’s eyes were clear. “This is my first time meeting the Empress Dowager today; it’s best to see it through from beginning to end.”

Hong Luan was clearly at a loss, standing at the door, hesitating whether to let them in or stop them.

Suddenly, a crashing sound came from inside the bedchamber, faintly accompanied by the sound of porcelain breaking. Xu Yanqing anxiously raised a hand and tugged at the Taoist Master’s sleeve.

Yin Yanjun’s expression instantly turned cold. He stepped past Hong Luan and pushed open the bedchamber door. The Empress Dowager had changed into a sleeping gown, and her hair was now disheveled, making her look particularly disheveled. She sat on the ground, hugging a pillow, with shattered porcelain strewn across the floor.

“Sanlang[mfn]Thrid-born male in the family. [/mfn], don’t cry, Sanlang, don’t cry, Mother is right here…” The Empress Dowager’s state was clearly not right. She hugged the pillow in her arms, gently patting it as if comforting a child.

Xu Yanqing took a few steps forward, fearing to startle the disoriented Empress Dowager, so he merely softly called out, “Empress Dowager.”

The Empress Dowager seemed not to hear, sitting barefoot on the ground, until the young master walked to her side. Only then did she slowly look up at the young master.

Xu Yanqing immediately saw the Empress Dowager’s red-rimmed eyes. Before he could speak, he saw the Empress Dowager drop the pillow in her hands and raise a hand to touch his cheek: “Sanlang, you are Sanlang. My Sanlang has grown so big! Quickly, call me Imperial Mother, alright?”

Tears welled up in the Empress Dowager’s eyes, as if she would burst into tears if the young master didn’t agree. The young master tilted his head and looked at the Taoist Master, who stood calmly to the side, as if asking for help.

However, before the Taoist Master could rescue him, the Empress Dowager cupped his face and turned his head back: “Don’t look at your Imperial Brother! Quickly, call me Imperial Mother, alright?”

The young master was on the verge of tears, his face flushed slightly, and he stuttered out an “Imperial Mother.” Why did he always feel like the Empress Dowager was deliberately teasing him?

The Empress Dowager had indeed lost her mind, mistaking the young master for her deceased young son. She pulled the young master to sit in a chair, then turned her head to instruct her other son: “Your Majesty, quickly have someone remove that pile of porcelain shards, lest they injure your younger brother.”

Yin Yanjun gazed at the young master from a distance, then turned and calmly gestured for Hong Luan to quickly clean up the porcelain shards.

Hong Luan was a little surprised, but she vaguely sensed the aloof aura emanating from His Majesty. After cleaning up the porcelain shards, she quickly withdrew.

“Sanlang, are you thirsty? Tell your Imperial Brother to pour you some water.” The Empress Dowager touched the young master’s hair for a moment, then his cheek, doting on him immensely.

The young master was indeed a bit thirsty. Before the Empress Dowager could instruct, Yin Yanjun had already brought a cup of warm water.

Feeling awkward, the young master simply gave in. It was just acting, and the young master wasn’t afraid of anyone. So he pulled the Taoist Master to sit down with him and chatted with the Empress Dowager.

“Sanlang, where do you live now? Imperial Mother hasn’t been able to find you.”

“I live in Changxin Palace. Imperial Mother can come see me then.” Getting out and about more would surely be good for the Empress Dowager.

“Changxin Palace, ah, isn’t that where the Empress lives? Oh, right, your Imperial Brother hasn’t established an Empress yet, so it’s harmless for you to temporarily stay there.”

The young master’s eyes widened instantly. He was truly ignorant, only thinking that the Empress’s palace was called Jiaofang Palace. Was “Jiaofang” merely a symbolic name? Then, when the Taoist Master had him stay in Changxin Palace, hadn’t he already… Hehe, the young master’s heart instantly lit up with glee.

Yin Yanjun quietly listened to the young master and his imperial mother chat. When the topic of Changxin Palace came up, he rubbed the young master’s head with a helpless expression. At this moment, he was truly completely exposed by his Imperial Mother. Fortunately, the young master had now been “enlightened,” otherwise he would have been scared and run back to Marquis Wu’an’s manor.

The Empress Dowager was obviously running out of energy at the moment. She forced herself to talk to the young master for a while but was finally persuaded by him to go to the bed and rest.

“This is the first time Imperial Mother has been so easily soothed,” Yin Yanjun said, gazing gently at the young master. “Before this, when she was in this state, she couldn’t recognize me. She would mistake me for the late emperor.”

So, ever since his ascension, Yin Yanjun’s visits to the Empress Dowager could only be brief, hiding outside the hall to catch a glimpse before leaving quickly. Rarely, perhaps once or twice a month, could he sit down and chat with the Empress Dowager for a while. The young master felt a little sad. He held the Taoist Master’s hand, a proud and delighted smile appearing in his eyes, and he deliberately leaned in to say, “So, Taoist Master, you should thank me properly.”

“Indeed. Meeting you is certainly my good fortune.” Yin Yanjun gently stroked the young master’s head, the smile in his eyes deepening compared to usual. After a moment, he lowered his head and lightly kissed the young master’s forehead.

Although the young master was now “enlightened,” and the Taoist Master had become his beloved boyfriend, with the Taoist Master kissing him so gently, the young master, who usually prided himself on being thick-skinned, instead blushed slightly, feeling very uncomfortable.

“Let’s go back first. I’ll have the Imperial Hospital come over to check Imperial Mother’s pulse later.” Yin Yanjun lovingly took the young master’s hand.

The young master nodded obediently. When they walked out of Yunhe Palace, a sedan chair was already prepared outside. Swaying forward, Xu Yanqing propped his chin on his hand as he leaned on the sedan chair, looking up at the Taoist Master, his bright eyes curving slightly into crescent shapes.

As the sedan chair lowered at Changxin Palace, Yin Yanjun reached out to help the young master down. He lowered his head slightly and looked at the young master: “Why did you smile in the chair just now?”

“So, Taoist Master saw that!” Xu Yanqing raised an eyebrow, the corners of his lips curving. “The you at Yunhe Palace today was different from usual; it was very interesting.”

Yin Yanjun was a little embarrassed by the teasing. He led the young master into the palace, saying, “Imperial Mother is often not in a good state, so I rarely get to visit her openly. Thus, I can only try to do more things to make her happy whenever she is lucid.”

“Empress Dowager… when did she start being like this?” Xu Yanqing found it quite amusing to see the Taoist Master obediently hoeing the ground and watering the plants.

But when he heard the Taoist Master speak of the past in a flat tone, a bittersweet feeling arose in his heart.

“Ever since I was confined in Lingyun Temple by the late emperor under the pretext of praying for blessings, Imperial Mother began to break down. But being in Lingyun Temple, I was beyond reach. After I ascended the throne, Imperial Mother suddenly said she wanted to become a nun. My Imperial Sister and I persuaded her for a long time before she agreed to stay in the palace. It was then that my Imperial Sister and I discovered that Imperial Mother was ill.” Helping the young master to sit down on the chair, Yin Yanjun knelt down beside him and raised his eyes slightly: “Imperial Mother likes you very much.”

“I like her very much too.” Xu Yanqing leaned down towards the Taoist Master. As if to comfort him, he raised a hand to scratch the Taoist Master’s chin: “However, I still like you more.”

Yin Yanjun’s lips curved upwards, his eyes gentle and doting. He took the young master’s hand and placed it on his own cheek: “It should be me who likes you more.”

Xu Yanqing once again felt his heart pound. The Taoist Master, with a hint of vulnerability, seemed even more captivating, so he couldn’t help but slowly kiss the Taoist Master’s forehead.

Wen Jing, who had just entered the hall with a cup of hot tea, quickly stopped in his tracks, lightly stepped back out, and whispered to Mu Yu beside him, “The Emperor is talking with the young master. Let’s not go in and disturb them.”

Mu Yu nodded repeatedly and pulled Wen Jing to sit on the steps and chat.

A faint scent of peach seemed to fill the sleeping quarters. Yin Yanjun’s clear, handsome eyes became obscure and deep. He raised his hand to cup the back of the young master’s neck, his thumb gently caressing the slightly reddish tooth mark still there.

Xu Yanqing felt a tingling sensation on the back of his neck. He blinked, cupped the Taoist Master’s elegant and unworldly face with both hands, and slowly moved his lips downward. Their breaths intertwined as they embraced intimately.

By the time Young Master Xu had recovered from the flush and excitement, he was almost completely pressed against the Taoist Master.

The little bean in his belly kicked twice. Xu Yanqing straightened up and couldn’t help but scratch the back of his neck, a faint blush spreading across his face.

Yin Yanjun’s heart seemed to ripple layer after layer. To prevent the young master from becoming angry out of embarrassment, he got up and went outside, took the hot tea from Wen Jing’s hand, and then slowly returned to the sleeping quarters.

In a short while, the salted fish had already braced himself mentally. He obediently held the hot tea and sat at the desk, watching the Taoist Master review memorials.

After the envoys from various kingdoms had left the capital, the stack of memorials on the Taoist Master’s desk was significantly smaller. The young master casually flipped through two of them: “Why are they all such trivial matters?”

Yin Yanjun chuckled, “No major matters in the memorials means the country is prosperous and the people are at peace. Isn’t that just perfect?”

The young master nodded, then asked in confusion, “What if someone below deceives those above, deliberately sending these trivial matters to the Taoist Master?”

“Clear water has no fish. In every dynasty, just as there are loyal officials, there will be those with ulterior motives. Such behavior is only temporary. The officials in court, though seemingly harmonious, also keep each other in check. As long as I’m not a muddled and incompetent ruler for a day, there’s nothing to worry about.” This is the role of an emperor in a country: controlling power, distributing power, and balancing power.

Xu Yanqing listened, somewhat confused. He propped his chin in his hand and thought for a moment before saying, “Actually, Taoist Master is like the helmsman of a large ship. You plan your policies, fulfill your responsibilities, and achieve your goals. That’s why Daliang has been completely revitalized and receives congratulations from all sides.”

“Young master, you overpraised me.” Yin Yanjun looked down at the young master, gently stroking his head. “I only hope for the prosperity of Daliang.” This way, the young master could always be comfortable and happy. He was much older than the young master and had caused the young master to suffer for him; he had to make the young master feel more at ease than he did in Marquis Wu’an’s residence.

That night, the Empress Dowager sent a pile of gold, silver, and jade stones to Changxin Palace, all of them top-notch treasures.

In an instant, young master Xu transformed from a “poor little thing” needing the Taoist Master’s care into a small local tycoon who had become rich overnight.

At the same time, when the Grand Princess heard the news, she was not to be outdone. She even sent Young Marquis Yin, who had just set his engagement with Miss Chu and was busy with wedding preparations, into the palace with a pile of gifts, ostensibly as a meeting gift from an older sister to her “sister-in-law.” Since Xu Yanqing was living in the palace, he couldn’t personally thank the Grand Princess, but with the Empress Dowager in the palace, things were much more convenient.

So, to show his gratitude, the young master’s evening stroll route underwent a major adjustment. He walked all the way from Changxin Palace to Yunhe Palace, pulling the Taoist Master along, and they dutifully sat on two small stools in the courtyard to chat with the Empress Dowager, then slowly walked back.

As a result, in just a few days, young master Xu became the Empress Dowager’s dearest treasure, so much so that even the Taoist Master had to stand far aside.

With a very smug wink at the Taoist Master, the young master giggled and nestled close to the Empress Dowager to listen to stories. Seeing this, Yin Yanjun smiled helplessly.

As they were chatting and laughing, the Empress Dowager suddenly stopped. She gently tugged at the young master’s collar and, sure enough, saw a slightly red tooth mark on the back of his neck.

“Your Majesty, what’s wrong?” The young master looked bewildered. Why had the Empress Dowager not only stopped talking but also looked increasingly displeased?

Just as the young master was worrying if the Empress Dowager’s illness had recurred, he saw the Empress Dowager gently point at the back of his neck and, suppressing her anger, say, “Ah Qing, be good and tell Imperial Mother, did His Majesty bully you?”

How could he explain this? The young master was even more confused and could only honestly shake his head: “No, Taoist Master has the gentlest temperament.” Only the salted fish would bully the Taoist Master; how could the Taoist Master possibly bully him?

“With Imperial Mother here, Ah Qing doesn’t have to be afraid of him.” The Empress Dowager huffed and glared at her son beside the young master. The next moment, she seemed to suddenly understand something, looking at the tooth mark on the young master’s neck with a very complex expression. She lowered her voice slightly and said, “Ah Qing, be obedient. Did His Majesty bully you in bed?”

The young master’s delicate face instantly flushed crimson. So the Empress Dowager was that kind of empress dowager! Under her persistent questioning, the salted fish young master still obediently shook his head: “Your Majesty, you worry too much. He really didn’t bully me.”

Neither off the bed nor on the bed! With such a big belly now, he couldn’t do anything but touch and kiss, okay?!

Yin Yanjun was helpless about the accusation and suspicion in his mother’s words. He gently squeezed the young master’s fingers and said to the Empress Dowager, “Though Imperial Mother’s voice was low, your son heard it clearly.”

The Empress Dowager coughed and then simply glared at her son: “Ah Qing’s nature is obedient and gentle, and he’s completely devoted to you. So, Your Majesty, explain if that tooth mark on the back of Ah Qing’s neck was bitten by you?”

Yin Yanjun was speechless. Although… that tooth mark was indeed bitten by him, and it was bitten on the bed.

The confused young master finally understood why the Empress Dowager had suddenly turned on the Taoist Master, but the young master really wanted to shout that the Taoist Master was innocent.

Blinking his eyes, the young master obediently tugged at the Empress Dowager’s sleeve: “Your Majesty, the problem with this tooth mark really has nothing to do with the Taoist Master. It’s purely my own problem.”

“Oh my, how pitiful! Does it hurt, being bitten like this?!” The Empress Dowager glared fiercely at Yin Yanjun again. After all, her son was now the emperor, so she couldn’t really drag him out and give him a beating. She simply turned her head, opting for out of sight, out of mind.

The Empress Dowager tenderly touched the young master’s slightly red neck, but the young master instinctively recoiled.

Thinking only that the young master was in great pain, the Empress Dowager quickly called for Hong Luan to fetch medicine and instructed her son to apply the medicine to the young master as an apology.

Whenever he was in a heat cycle, the skin on the back of the young master’s neck would become more delicate and sensitive. Yin Yanjun had now gained experience. His knuckles gently rubbed the young master’s earlobe soothingly before he took some ointment with his fingertips and carefully applied it to the slightly reddish tooth mark.

The salted fish young master, gripping the Taoist Master’s sleeve, couldn’t help but tremble slightly. It was only after the medicine was applied that he slowly let out a breath.

The young master wasn’t afraid of anything, except losing face in front of the Empress Dowager.

That night, the Empress Dowager sternly warned her son, then earnestly admonished him for half an hour before finally letting them go.

The flush on the young master’s face finally subsided. He curiously leaned in front of the Taoist Master: “Did Her Majesty say something when she called you into the room just now?”

Yin Yanjun squeezed the young master’s hand, a smile on his face: “Your due date is approaching, so Imperial Mother warned me that I must exercise self-control and restraint and never act recklessly, lest I harm your body.”

The salted fish finally understood what it meant to “lift a rock only to drop it on one’s own feet.” He shouldn’t have asked that question just now. Regarding the openness of the imperial family, the young master could only shake his head in shame, feeling inferior.

Yin Yanjun smiled slightly and changed the subject: “Imperial Mother’s spirits are getting much better now.”

The young master nodded repeatedly: “Hong Luan said that her illness hasn’t recurred these past few days. I suppose she had trapped herself in a small world before, and now that she sees things more openly, perhaps she’ll be cured without medicine someday.”

“That’s all thanks to you.” Yin Yanjun turned his head, his eyes gentle and warm, one hand firmly protecting the young master’s waist.

---

Please consider supporting me on Ko-fi if you like what I’m doing. There will be bonus chapter for every kofi (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ)