This was the first time the imperial carriage had stopped directly at the gates of the sleeping hall. Shen Zhaoqian dismissed all the palace attendants, then softly said from outside the carriage curtain, “This servant will go prepare things in the back,” then left.
The outside of the emperor’s sleeping hall has never been so quiet. Even the faint tinkling of a bell inside the imperial carriage could be clearly heard from outside. Amid the soft rustling, a long-restrained voice finally let out a muffled moan, laced with an indescribable sweetness.
A figure stepped down from the imperial carriage, carrying someone wrapped tightly in a thick blanket. With each movement of the figure, soft whimpers escaped from the bundle, and any larger movements brought a quick gasp of surprise.
“Clench it tightly.” Even through the thick blanket, Li Xuanming managed to find the sensitive curve of his ear and offered a kind reminder, “If you drop it, you’ll bear the consequences.”
“Wu……”
Yan Yihuan was on the verge of tears. He was buried under the blanket, unable to say a word as every bit of his strength was used to maintain his balance.
But the moment he exerted any force, that sensation surged up again. He couldn’t bear it anymore and wanted to relax it, yet he was afraid of dropping it. The little bell swayed gently, in the midst of its jingling, Yan Yihuan finally couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst into tears.
“I… I can’t anymore…”
“We’re almost there.” Li Xuanming gently kissed the quietly sobbing Yan Yihuan, the short distance of less than a hundred steps had never felt so far. The moment he was placed onto the dragon bed[mfn]In ancient China, the emperor is believed to be the True Dragon Son of Heaven, hence most of the items the emperor uses are named after ‘dragon’. Example: 龙榻(dragon bed), 龙袍(dragon robe), 龙椅(dragon throne). Only the emperor could use these dragon-associated items or symbols, especially the five-clawed dragon, which was strictly reserved for the emperor.[/mfn], Yan Yihuan’s eyes suddenly flew wide open. He clutched tightly at Li Xuanming’s sleeve, his body trembling as it arched sharply, and for a long moment, he couldn’t bring it back down.
“How come we’re already here?”
Li Xuanming slid an arm around the still-suspended waist, and tugged on the silk sash with the other hand. The glistening jade lotus root was tossed aside, and in the next instant, Yan Yihuan was already beneath him,
“Yihuan, this is only just the beginning.”
—
If not for the unbearable hunger in his stomach, Yan Yihuan likely wouldn’t have woken up even by nightfall. He stared blankly at the imperial yellow canopy above, embroidered with a soaring dragon surrounded by seven-colored clouds. It served as a clear reminder that he had really spent an absurd night with the emperor on this dragon bed last night.
Oh yea, it wasn’t just here, later on, he[mfn]t/n: I think this ‘he’ is referring to Li Xuanming as this sentence and the following sentence sounded like Yan Yihuan’s inner thoughts.[/mfn] hadn’t stopped even when they had gone to the bath behind the sleeping hall.
How could anyone withstand such torment!
Yan Yihuan had now truly come to understand what it meant to feel like your whole body was falling apart. He wanted to get off the dragon bed, but the moment he turned over, he let out a few ‘ow’s.
As soon as he made a sound, the doors to the sleeping hall opened. A familiar face stepped in, it was Li Jiang.
“Historian Yan is awake.” Li Jiang bowed to Yan Yihuan before stepping forward to help him sit up.
Although Yan Yihuan didn’t want others to see him like this, he really couldn’t get up without anyone’s help right now.
Li Xuanming had at least shown some shred of conscience. When he finally let him go, he had dressed him neatly, so Yan Yihuan wasn’t completely humiliated. Still, Yan Yihuan silently cursed the current emperor’s name in his heart, using this method known only to himself, as a small, private act of revenge.
“His Majesty is currently meeting with the Protector General. He asked that Historian Yan wash up and have breakfast first, there’s no need to wait for him.” Li Jiang called him ‘Historian Yan’ with every sentence, and it was only then that Yan Yihuan remembered why he’d entered the palace in the first place.
The imperial court of Northern Jin had always been very strict, and according to Liu Qianyi, it became even stricter after the current emperor took the throne, especially when it came to punishing dereliction of duty.
Yan Yihuan had now experienced firsthand just how terrifying the emperor could be. He grabbed onto Li Jiang in panic,
“My… my official robes, where are they?”
“Your official robes were no longer… presentable. His Majesty said that since it’s Historian Yan’s first day in the palace and you’re exhausted, there’s no need to rush into compiling the court records for now.”
Only then did Yan Yihuan breathe a sigh of relief. With Li Jiang’s help, he moved to the table where food was being laid out. He secretly shifted a little as he sat on the stool. Although his back ached, his throat burned, and his waist felt sore, this time it was somewhat different from before.
Perhaps it was because the preparations in the imperial carriage had been thorough, so that place didn’t hurt as much as before and just a dull, lingering soreness remained.
Just thinking about last night made Yan Yihuan’s cheeks flush uncontrollably. He didn’t know why, but although there had been pain, by the end, it was nothing compared to the pleasure.
He recalled how he had drowned in wave after wave of desire, but no matter how good it felt, there had to be a limit! Yan Yihuan couldn’t help gritting his teeth. By the end, he truly couldn’t endure it anymore.
No, how can I still be thinking about this kind of thing when I’m in such a situation?!
While his thoughts ran wild, the table had already been set with delicate dishes. Yan Yihuan secretly swallowed his saliva but didn’t dare pick up his chopsticks.
This was the emperor’s royal meal, after all. What if His Majesty got upset and took it out on him?
“His Majesty specially summoned this servant from the retreat to attend to Historian Yan. He was afraid you wouldn’t be used to anyone else.” Li Jiang noticed his hesitation and said with a gentle smile, “If His Majesty returns and finds you still hungry, it will be this servant’s fault.”
Yan Yihuan was hungry anyway, and he didn’t want to make things difficult for Li Jiang. He picked up a piece of braised beef which was so tender that it was already falling apart and chewed it a few times before suddenly slowing down as if he had remembered something.
This taste was far too familiar, it was exactly like what he’d eaten back at Hanlin Academy!
Seeing him slow down and his expression shift into thought, Li Jiang explained,
“His Majesty said Historian Yan is prone to stomach ache, so this whole table of medicinal food was specially prepared for you.”
Yan Yihuan hesitated, then pointed to a yam cake in the distance. “Let me try that one.”
A translucent piece of yam cake was placed in front of him. Yan Yihuan stared at it for a moment, then picked up a little piece and tasted it carefully.
As the soft, fragrant cake melted in his mouth, he froze in place as if struck. This taste was just as familiar. It was the same cake he’d eaten on the road while fleeing!
An indescribable emotion welled up in Yan Yihuan’s chest. Should he hate the emperor for using Zhao Chufeng’s name to deceive him? Or should he be moved, knowing the emperor had ensured he ate and drank well on his way back?
Pei, moved? What a joke. Yan Yihuan shook his head in frustration. Hadn’t he already been fooled enough? For the first time in his life, he’d been genuinely worried about someone, yet it turned out to be a joke. He was even dragged back again, this time not just as a simple hostage, but as a hostage who could be toyed with at will.
Yet all the fury in his heart seemed to vanish the moment the word “hostage” crossed his mind, especially now that he knew his father and elder brother were secretly plotting treason with King Qin. Now he bears the fate of the entire Yan family. Even if the emperor had wronged him in a thousand ways, how could he possibly act so arrogant like he once did?
It felt like a heavy stone was pressing down on his chest, growing heavier by the second. Yan Yihuan, who had never given much thought to the word “responsibility,” now suddenly felt like he was shouldering a mountain. He could no longer act as willfully as he did at home.
He steeled himself. So what if he was being used and humiliated? For the sake of everyone at the Residence of King Yan, what did it matter if he had to curry favor himself?
“Why are you just staring at the food and not eating?”
Li Xuanming’s voice suddenly rang out beside his ear, snapping Yan Yihuan out of his thoughts. Startled, he instinctively flinched, but just as he was about to pull back, he remembered the resolution he’d just made. He drew in a deep breath, lifted his head, and forced a wide, though clearly strained, smile.
“This humble official was waiting to dine with Your Majesty.”
Author’s notes:
Yihuan: I am the hope of the whole village now!
