TL: Hua
“Mother, please have mercy on your son!” Yin Yuancheng said with a bitter face, pulling on the Grand Princess’s sleeve and acting spoiled. “When your son returned, His Majesty truly said nothing else besides those two letters.”
The Grand Princess became even more perplexed. “Then tell Mother, why is His Majesty taking so long to return?” The emperor was never an arbitrary or self-indulgent person; if there was nothing important, he would certainly not linger outside.
Yin Yuancheng’s heart skipped a beat as he looked up at his mother. In truth, on his way back to the capital, he had already made some guesses in his mind. It was nothing more than the emperor taking a liking to that scoundrel Xu Yanqing. Now that Xu Yanqing was ill, the emperor was worried and stayed in Xu Family Village to take care of him.
However, this matter was not something he could tell his mother. The emperor had been unmoved for a long time, but once he did, he did it in such a shocking way. Yin Yuancheng was afraid that his mother would become reckless out of concern and do something inappropriate that would displease the emperor.
“Mother, you can’t say such things carelessly.” Yin Yuancheng waved his hands repeatedly. “Since His Majesty doesn’t want the outside world to know his whereabouts, why should you try to ascertain his movements? That’s a great taboo!”
“Alright, alright,” The Grand Princess naturally knew that her son’s heart was entirely with the emperor. She waved him away, wanting him to stay as far away as possible, finding him irritating.
Upon hearing this, Yin Yuancheng quickly ran off. Behind him, the Grand Princess took out the secret letter sent by the emperor, and, combined with her son’s nervous behavior, she already had some suspicions.
However, she didn’t actually go to ascertain the emperor’s whereabouts. Instead, a smile touched her noble brows, and she instructed the head maid serving her to go out and find people.
The person the Grand Princess wanted to pick up was Aunt Zhao. Aunt Zhao was also an old servant who had served the emperor for many years.
When Emperor Yanjun was still the Crown Prince, Aunt Zhao had served in the East Palace. Later, when the Crown Prince was persecuted and almost became a deposed prince, during those years of recuperation in the Taoist temple, she was also by his side, serving his meals.
Aunt Zhao’s ancestors were also from a medical family, so not only was she an excellent cook, but she also possessed many medicinal recipes for body conditioning and even knew many palace secret remedies.
However, Aunt Zhao was also getting old, so a few years ago, Emperor Yanjun, remembering her merits, granted her special favor and released her from the palace to enjoy her remaining years in comfort. Now, when Emperor Yanjun asked the Grand Princess to find a nanny who could condition the body, the Grand Princess immediately thought of Aunt Zhao.
Aunt Zhao arrived quickly. In truth, she wasn’t truly at the age for “enjoying her remaining years.” It was simply that Emperor Yanjun was considerate of his servants and found an excuse to let her go.
“Aunt Zhao, I’ve troubled you again this time,” the Grand Princess said with a smile. “His Majesty asked me to find a nanny who can condition the body. I don’t have anyone like that at hand, so of course, I immediately thought of Aunt Zhao.”
Aunt Zhao was naturally happy to return to serving the emperor. Hearing this, she wished she could immediately get into a carriage and rush to his side.
So, within a few days, Aunt Zhao was sent to Xu Family Village, and Wen Jing personally welcomed her into the house.
“Aunt Zhao, you are one of us. Your adherence to rules is better than mine, so I won’t say much. I just hope you can take good care of Young Master Xu’s health,” Wen Jing explained the whole situation clearly. With Aunt Zhao in a state of disbelief, he pushed open the main door.
After all, as an old woman who had seen a lot of ups and downs, Aunt Zhao quickly calmed down and looked up at the young master sitting on the reclining chair in the yard.
The young master’s abdomen was slightly protruding, seemingly just showing signs of pregnancy, but at the moment, he was dozing in the reclining chair, looking a bit low on energy.
And their emperor was sitting beside the young master, holding an enlightenment book of Thousand Character Classic in his hand, reading slowly and leisurely.
Honestly, Aunt Zhao had served the emperor for so many years and had mostly seen his cold and aloof expression. This was the first time she had seen a hint of warmth emanating from him.
The salted fish was a bit sensitive to outside gazes. He had a hunch that someone was looking at him, and with an examining gaze at that. However, at that moment, the sun had made his limbs feel weak, and he was too lazy to open his eyes to look. So, he raised his hand and pulled the small blanket over him to cover his face.
Perfect. Now he wouldn’t feel that scrutinizing gaze.
Aunt Zhao felt that she had been rude and quickly followed Wen Jing to the kitchen, where Aunt Li was making lunch. Wen Jing had originally thought she would be unhappy about him inviting another person, but Aunt Li took Aunt Zhao’s hand, full of enthusiasm: “*Hiyahh*, Sister Zhao, you don’t know, I only know how to cook a few dishes. I’m really afraid Young Master and everyone else will get tired of them. Isn’t it even better with you here!”
Aunt Zhao was also a smart person. She pushed Wen Jing away and talked to Aunt Li herself. In a short while, she had established a good relationship with Aunt Li.
Wen Jing, seeing that there was truly no place for him in the kitchen, wisely and quickly slipped away.
Emperor Yanjun pulled down the small blanket that covered the young master’s face, revealing his slightly flushed cheeks from being muffled. Then, he took out an ochre-colored handkerchief from his embrace and placed it on the young master’s face to shield him from the light.
The faint, cool fragrance of the Taoist Master filled his nostrils. Xu Yanqing, half-asleep, unconsciously took a deep breath, then slightly turned and grabbed the handkerchief from his face, tucking it into his embrace, claiming it as his own.
That’s how domineering the half-asleep young master was.
Emperor Yanjun lowered his gaze slightly, staring at the young master’s obedient sleeping face, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Xu Yanqing was roused by the enticing aroma from the kitchen. He then saw that he was clutching a handkerchief in his hand, holding it tightly to his chest. A look of confusion instantly appeared on his face. This handkerchief was clearly Taoist Master Xuanchen’s. The last time the Taoist used it to wipe his sweat, he had told Mu Yu to wash it and return it, but in reality, that handkerchief was still lying in his wardrobe!
“Why is the Taoist Master’s handkerchief with me?” Xu Yanqing brazenly looked up at the Taoist Master beside him, a smile gracing his cheeks.
Emperor Yanjun took the handkerchief, wiped the beads of sweat from the young master’s forehead, and casually tucked the handkerchief into his sleeve, his gaze clear and gentle. “Get up. You can eat after a short walk in the courtyard.”
Xu Yanqing sniffed the aroma in the air, unable to help but exclaim, “I wonder what Aunt Li cooked today; it smells so good!”
“Aunt Zhao probably made you some soup,” Emperor Yanjun closed the book in his hand and explained, “Wen Jing brought Aunt Zhao, who used to serve me, here. Aunt Zhao is extremely skilled in cooking. If there’s anything you want to eat, just tell her.”
Wow! Someone who used to serve beside Taoist Master Xuanchen must be an imperial chef! Xu Yanqing blinked his eyes, and his eyes that belonged to a foodie were full of light. He wished he could run to the kitchen right now to steal something to eat and satisfy his appetite.
Emperor Yanjun found it amusing. He couldn’t help but raise his hand and gently rub the young master’s head.
Xu Yanqing didn’t pay much attention. Anyway, at home, his father, mother, and brothers all liked to rub his head, just like petting a cat.
Indeed, at noon, Xu Yanqing had Aunt Zhao’s corn and pork rib soup. It smelled incredibly fresh and delicious. Aunt Zhao ladled a bowl of soup for Xu Yanqing, gently saying, “There aren’t many ingredients at home, and not enough time. Young Master, please just make do with this meal. Tomorrow, I’ll go to town with Lan Niang to buy some vegetables and make something delicious for you.”
“It’s delicious!” Xu Yanqing said.
“As long as Young Master likes it,” Aunt Zhao smiled brightly. She had made a lot of soup, and the young master couldn’t finish it all by himself, so she served a bowl to everyone.
Qi Chen even followed behind Xu Yanqing, showering Aunt Zhao with compliments, and one look at his eager expression showed he was a glutton too.
The next day, Aunt Li made a simple breakfast and left it in the pot for Mu Yu to watch over, then took Aunt Zhao in Hu Zi’s ox cart to town.
Aunt Zhao had a straightforward personality and taught Aunt Li some cooking tips. Before long, their relationship grew better and better.
It was hot and dry in the afternoon. Xu Yanqing couldn’t stay in the courtyard in this weather, so he could only stay in his room and write letters to his father and mother.
The original owner was spoiled and uneducated, so his handwriting was simply unreadable. However, his own handwriting wasn’t much better than the original owner’s, only barely presentable.
Xu Yanqing had finished describing all the recent events, but he was still scratching his head, staring at the remaining blank sheet of letter paper.
Emperor Yanjun lightly tapped the desk with his curved finger. “What are you so engrossed in thought about?”
The salted fish, utterly defeated, spread out the letter paper, on which only two large characters were written, on the desk. His delicate little face was wrinkled in a frown. “Father, Mother, and Elder Brother each need a different letter. Now I fully understand that writing letters is also hard work.”
Emperor Yanjun laughed upon hearing this. “Why do all three letters have to be different?”
“Because those three are incredibly bored and will definitely exchange letters to read.” This was based on the salted fish’s own experience. Last time, he had been lazy and sent three letters with only minor differences. As a result, his father and mother immediately sent a letter back, criticizing him for being perfunctory and insisting that he write three distinct letters in smaller script.
The salted fish propped his chin in his hand, re-experiencing the novel sensation of being forced to write a diary by his parents during elementary school. Oh, it was a maddening experience.
Xu Yanqing tilted his head and glanced at Taoist Master Xuanchen, then silently sidled over to him, eagerly handing over the letter paper. “Would Taoist Master be so kind as to help me finish this letter?”
Emperor Yanjun took the other two sheets of letter paper from the desk. The young master’s two letters were written with flowing ease, virtually detailing every single meal.
The letter to Marquis Wu’an detailed the meals from the past few days, and the letter to Marquis Wu’an’s wife covered the meals from the next few days. So, when it came to Marquis Wu’an’s prince, the young master was completely stuck and couldn’t write anything more.
“Young Master, do you truly want me to help you write this letter?” Emperor Yanjun’s gaze, as he looked over, was gentle and warm.
The salted fish nodded repeatedly, wishing that the Taoist Master could help him write all his future letters.
“Marquis Wu’an and the prince are both very capable officials in the court,” Emperor Yanjun said with a light chuckle.
The salted fish was puzzled. “So what?”
The young master looked confused and bewildered. Emperor Yanjun lowered his eyes to look at him. “Especially Marquis Wu’an. Although he is a military official, he often submits memorials to my desk, so he will certainly recognize my handwriting.”
Xu Yanqing instantly understood Taoist Master Xuanchen’s meaning. His father was, after all, a highly capable military official in the emperor’s presence and would naturally recognize the emperor’s handwriting. If he really let the Taoist Master help him write this letter, he estimated that in less than three to five days, his father would ride his horse through the night to drag him back home.
So, the salted fish silently snatched the letter paper back from the Taoist Master’s hand, took a brush, and continued to scratch his head at the desk, looking aggrieved.
Emperor Yanjun found it amusing, yet he couldn’t bear to see the young master so distressed, so he said, “You don’t necessarily have to write about what you eat and drink every day. You could also talk about the little trinkets you’ve made or the chicken coop at home…”
It was also a diary, but what the Taoist mentioned was obviously much more interesting. Xu Yanqing’s mind turned, and he suddenly got an inspiration, so he quickly picked up the brush and started writing.
In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Xu Yanqing put down his brush, re-examined the letter from top to bottom, and couldn’t help but smile, “Indeed, my literary talent isn’t bad after all!”
The young master’s smiling eyes were bright and beautiful, much more pleasant than his previous worried expression. Emperor Yanjun helped him gather and fold all three letters. “Young Master’s literary talent is extraordinary; Xuanchen is truly impressed.”
Xu Yanqing, being thick-skinned, didn’t bother being modest and directly nodded in acknowledgment. “Of course! Mother said that if I was willing to study hard, I might even pass the imperial examination and bring glory to the family.” Unfortunately, the salted fish’s hobbies were eating, drinking, playing, and sleeping. Studying for exams was not within his considerations.
After boasting, Xu Yanqing wanted to get up and return to his seat, but he tripped and fell towards Emperor Yanjun.
Emperor Yanjun’s expression changed in surprise, but he reacted quickly, hooking one arm around the young master’s waist and pulling him directly into his embrace.
The room’s window was open, and the courtyard breeze blew in, carrying the stuffiness of summer. The lazy salted fish fell directly into Taoist Master Xuanchen’s embrace, his head resting against the Taoist Master’s chest. His heart inexplicably trembled slightly, and as he looked up, he met the Taoist Master’s gaze, who also looked down.
Taoist Master Xuanchen’s eyes were filled with concern and shock. The room fell into silence. Xu Yanqing could even hear the Taoist Master’s slightly flustered heartbeat in his ears.
The young master didn’t move, and Emperor Yanjun didn’t let go. The room instantly fell into a strange atmosphere.
Xu Yanqing had always been open-minded. Once he reacted, he gently placed his hand on Taoist Master Xuanchen’s chest and teased, “Did I scare you, Taoist Master? Your heart is beating so fast.”
Emperor Yanjun’s breath hitched. Feeling the hot temperature of the young master’s hand on his chest, he was momentarily speechless. After a moment, he regained his composure and then gently released the young master from his embrace. “Young Master, please be more careful next time.”
Xu Yanqing blinked. “What? Are you afraid I’ll drop your child?”
Emperor Yanjun understood that the young master had no other intentions, just a casual tease, so he didn’t get angry with him. Instead, he looked at the young master and smiled gently, “Young Doctor Qi said that at this moment, Young Master is much more important than the child in your belly.”
Taoist Master Xuanchen was extremely handsome. When he smiled, it was truly like a warm breeze blowing through a cold bamboo forest, bringing a touch of warmth to the aloof and refined green bamboo.
—
Now, with Aunt Li and Aunt Zhao serving his meals, the salted fish young master’s face became even more radiant and glowing. The weather was getting hotter, and the reclining chair could no longer be placed in the courtyard. Being cooped up in the room all day, Xu Yanqing was extremely bored.
Emperor Yanjun looked at the young master staring intently out the window, and couldn’t help but find it amusing. “Young master, are you bored staying indoors?”
Xu Yanqing gave Taoist Master Xuanchen a blank look. Wasn’t that obvious? His salted fish blue sky was gone, he couldn’t even sunbathe, and most importantly, even though the weather was so hot, he couldn’t use ice. The dejected salted fish expressed that he was very depressed, and no one should talk to him.
The young master was now six months pregnant. His belly had grown slightly, but not by much, appearing rather small compared to heavily pregnant women.
On one hand, it was due to everyone intentionally limiting the young master’s food intake, and on the other hand, because the young master’s womb was positioned more towards the back, it wasn’t very noticeable.
Aunt Zhao, who was quite knowledgeable about these matters, would occasionally feel the baby’s position during Qi Chen’s measurements of the young master’s abdomen.
The child in Xu Yanqing’s belly, like the emperor, was clearly mature in nature. Aunt Zhao had felt many times without encountering fetal movement, yet every time the emperor touched, the little bean would become exceptionally active.
Qi Chen couldn’t help but joke that the child recognized people and seemed particularly pleased with its father!
Upon hearing this, Wen Jing was so overjoyed that he almost shed tears of happiness on the spot.
These past few days, the weather had gotten increasingly hot, and Xu Yanqing’s appetite wasn’t as good as before. Aunt Zhao and Aunt Li racked their brains to make him fresh dishes.
Yet, the dejected salted fish just wanted to eat ice bowls. Aunt Zhao carefully controlled the amount and let the young master have a little, but as a result, the young master caught a slight cold and coughed that same night, making Aunt Zhao feel incredibly guilty.
From then on, Aunt Zhao never dared to give the young master an ice bowl again. At most, she would get some fruit, chill it slightly, and only bring it to the young master after the chill had almost dissipated.
Xu Yanqing lost his blissful life of lying like a salted fish in the courtyard and couldn’t have ice bowls. He felt that his salted fish days weren’t so good anymore, and he instantly became sullen.
Everyone who noticed his plunging mood was anxious, but thinking of the six-month-old little bean, they truly didn’t dare to let the young master eat ice bowls again. They could only try to find other ways to cheer him up.
“Have someone build a grape trellis in the courtyard and move the young master’s reclining chair under it,” Emperor Yanjun frowned slightly. Wen Jing nodded, took the order, and quickly went to find people to get busy.
—
The next morning, after breakfast, Xu Yanqing lazily nestled in the reclining chair, staring blankly. Recently, he had become a bit strange; he couldn’t fall asleep even after lying down for so long.
The salted fish was deeply perplexed by this and finally attributed it to perhaps not having the ice bowl he craved, which led to his melancholy.
Then Xu Yanqing began to reflect on himself. Since Taoist Master Xuanchen’s arrival two months ago, he seems to have become increasingly willful, even throwing tantrums over food. It truly was not right.
The dejected salted fish condemned himself.
After self-condemnation, he also had to take action. So, when Taoist Master Xuanchen came over again, he saw a rarely diligent young master. Not only was he sitting at the desk helping him grind ink, but he even served him tea and poured water, which genuinely made him feel a bit overwhelmed by the unexpected favor.
After all, in Emperor Yanjun’s impression, the young master mostly nestled in the reclining chair. If he could even spare a glance or sit at the desk and talk to him, that was already considered diligent.
So, Emperor Yanjun looked up, puzzled, at the young master, who was so bored he was propping his chin in his hand. “Young master, do you have anything you want to do today?”
The salted fish shook his head. He didn’t even want ice bowls anymore.
Outside, a clanging noise started at some point, but the salted fish just lay on the table, not caring about the situation outside at all.
However, this posture was indeed uncomfortable for the salted fish, so he lazily sat up again.
Emperor Yanjun seemed to remember something. He took out a few books from under the desk and handed them to the young master. “Yesterday, Wen Jing found some storybooks. Young Master can use them to pass the time.”
The previously sullen salted fish young master became excited at the mention of storybooks. After all, he had read the storybooks brought by Qi Chen over and over again, and he could almost recite the plot backward.
Wen Jing had found a whole box of storybooks. Emperor Yanjun quickly scanned them first, noting that there were quite a few erotic storybooks among them. Emperor Yanjun immediately gave Wen Jing a cold look.
Wen Jing chuckled and explained, “This servant specifically asked Young Doctor Qi. I painstakingly coaxed and wheedled the essence out of Young Doctor Qi’s mouth.”
In short, Young Master Xu was just unconventional. He didn’t like those proper storybooks; he preferred these forbidden and fancy ones.
Emperor Yanjun’s face showed a hint of helplessness towards the young master. Finally, he selected a few books and sent them to the young master’s room. However, when he went there, the young master was sleeping soundly, so the storybooks were temporarily placed under the desk.
Xu Yanqing first casually browsed the covers of the storybooks. Most of them seemed to be detective stories based on their titles, with only one book about a father-in-law and his widowed daughter-in-law.
“Wen Jing went to great lengths to pick these from other places. Does Young Master find them acceptable?” Emperor Yanjun asked, raising his eyes ambiguously.
Xu Yanqing clicked his tongue inwardly. That last one was definitely to his liking, and the others were also quite good. But looking up at the dignified, self-possessed, and ethereal Taoist Master Xuanchen, he still forced a hint of reserve: “Although a few of these storybooks are a bit too uninhibited, I still thank Taoist Master Xuanchen and Taoist Master Wen Jing for going to such trouble for me.”
The young master’s gaze on that last “uninhibited” storybook was clearly more fervent than on the others, indicating he was especially pleased, yet he still pretended to be reserved.
Emperor Yanjun rarely felt a mischievous urge to tease the young master, so he slowly reached out to take the book. “Since this storybook isn’t to the young master’s liking, why don’t I get you another one?”
Xu Yanqing reacted extremely quickly, pulling the storybook into his arms, a genuine and bright smile on his face. “No need to trouble Taoist Master! I’m not picky, not at all!”
With that, the young master stood up, hugging the storybook, and quickly nestled into his reclining chair to read. From Emperor Yanjun’s perspective, the young master was holding a detective story, but if one looked closely at the way the young master held the book, it would seem off.
So, the young master most likely hid that “uninhibited” storybook inside. His contradictory little thoughts were truly exposed for all to see.
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I’d love to read those “uninhibited” books as well 🤭