Chapter 14: Tenderness Only Heightened His Desire for Xiao Linye’s Closeness…
Early-rising palace maids quietly pushed open the carved windows, and morning sunlight streamed into the Hall of Heavenly Succession, perfumed with dragon’s breath incense. Xiao Linye’s coronation felt like yesterday, yet eight years had already passed.
When Xiao Linye awoke, Pei Lanqing was still sound asleep in his arms. Eight years ago, during a difficult childbirth, Pei Lanqing had barely survived after taking a medicinal Gu. Since then, his body had remained frail, and despite Xiao Linye’s meticulous care and attention, he remained thin and pale.
Xiao Linye leaned down and kissed Pei Lanqing’s forehead, trying not to make a sound to wake him. He often urged Pei Lanqing to rest, but Pei Lanqing always insisted that, as a court official, he should attend court with Xiao Linye.
Xiao Linye had no choice but to wake up early each morning and move as quietly as possible, allowing Pei Lanqing to sleep a little longer.
“Ye’er…” But Pei Lanqing, resting his head on Xiao Linye’s arm, called out to him in a half-dreaming state. A moment later, he slowly opened his eyes to find Xiao Linye’s face drawing closer.
Xiao Linye kissed Pei Lanqing’s cool lips, his touch possessive yet tender, fully awakening the man in his arms from his daze. His hand traced down Pei Lanqing’s slender back, firmly clasping his waist and pulling him closer.
Their breaths were ragged. Ten years ago, Pei Lanqing had taken a medicinal Gu, but Xiao Linye couldn’t bear for him to endure the pain of childbirth again. So over the years, they had consistently taken contraceptive herbal medicine.
Yet the absence of pregnancy didn’t mean Pei Lanqing’s body no longer needed nourishment. Instead, it made him crave Xiao Linye’s closeness even more. He found himself utterly captivated by the mere intimacy of their skin touching, without even needing the stimulation of blood.
“Ye’er, why are you doing this again…” Pei Lanqing’s hand rested weakly against Xiao Linye’s solid chest, pushing twice without budging him. Instead, Xiao Linye leaned in even closer.
Xiao Linye’s hot breath brushed against the back of Pei Lanqing’s ear, sending shivers through his body and causing him to melt further into Xiao Linye’s embrace.
Xiao Linye pressed a series of kisses along Pei Lanqing’s slender, fair neck, his voice low and husky with a unique flavor: “I’ve been busy with the southern summer harvest these past few days. I noticed the Grand Tutor’s complexion has grown paler again.”
As Xiao Linye said, the southern regions had been hit by floods after the onset of summer, coinciding with the summer harvest. The court had been utterly overwhelmed by the crisis, and Xiao Linye and Pei Lanqing had spent nearly every night in the small pavilion beside the imperial study. Indeed, it had been quite some time since they had indulged in their usual intimate activities.
Now that the crisis was finally over, and with no early morning court session scheduled, Xiao Linye was determined to nourish the Grand Tutor. Pei Lanqing’s body, already somewhat parched, grew increasingly restless under Xiao Linye’s teasing.
“Ye’er… mmm…”
Xiao Linye continued his meticulous kisses, lifting the last thin layer of nightclothes. Then, he leaned down and covered Pei Lanqing completely…
When the clouds had dispersed and the rain had ceased, Pei Lanqing lay limp and weak in Xiao Linye’s arms. Xiao Linye looked down at the Grand Tutor’s face, now flushed with a delicate blush, and felt a surge of satisfaction. He lifted Pei Lanqing into his arms and carried him toward the warm pool in the rear palace.
After bathing, the two sat before the bronze mirror. Xiao Linye’s fingers traced through Pei Lanqing’s damp hair, and he couldn’t resist leaning down to kiss him again.
Pei Lanqing’s waist still felt slightly sore. He leaned back against Xiao Linye’s shoulder, gazing at their reflections in the mirror with a faint smile. “What are you looking at, Ye’er? Do I have any gray hairs?”
“How could that be?” Xiao Linye set down the strand of hair and wrapped his arms around Pei Lanqing’s waist from behind. “The Grand Tutor couldn’t possibly have gray hair. It’s still as black as ever.”
“Why not? During the court meeting the other day, I noticed Lord Wu’s temples were already streaked with white. I’m probably not much younger than him,” Pei Lanqing said, half joking, half sighing. “I’m growing old too…”
“The Grand Tutor isn’t aging at all. You look exactly the same as before,” Xiao Linye murmured, nuzzling Pei Lanqing’s neck and cheek. He truly meant it. In Xiao Linye’s eyes, Pei Lanqing showed no signs of aging and remained as beautiful as ever.
“The Grand Tutor hasn’t aged a day. It’s me who’s being driven to premature aging by those censorious officials all day long.”
“Who talks about themselves like that?” Pei Lanqing raised his hand to cover Xiao Linye’s lips, then gently stroked his face. Over the years, Xiao Linye’s features had matured and hardened, shedding the youthful impetuosity of the battlefield. His gaze was now so deep and inscrutable, radiating the unquestionable authority of an emperor.
“Those censors wouldn’t dare truly bother you, Ye’er. Just put on a stern face, and I bet they wouldn’t even dare to breathe.”
“That’s just fine. I’d be delighted if every single one of them lost their tongues and we only had to listen to the Grand Tutor speak.” Xiao Linye wrapped his arms around Pei Lanqing’s waist. The stern and solemn emperor he presented to the world was only this gentle and languid when alone with Pei Lanqing.
As they were lost in tender intimacy, the old eunuch Tian Rui suddenly announced from behind a screen, “Your Majesty, Lord Pei, the Little Prince has arrived and is waiting in the front hall to have breakfast with you.”
“Oh? He’s early today,” Xiao Linye murmured, still reluctant to release Pei Lanqing. He rested his chin on Pei Lanqing’s shoulder and rubbed against him. “He always picks the perfect time to interrupt his Imperial Father’s private moments.”
Pei Lanqing chuckled at this, turning to kiss Xiao Linye’s cheek. “Alright, let’s hurry out. We don’t want Quan’er to get impatient.”
Xiao Linye, in consideration of the kiss, held Pei Lanqing for a while longer before helping him to his feet. After changing their clothes, they headed toward the main hall.
“Imperial Father! Father!” Eight-year-old Xiao Yuquan, seeing them finally emerge, immediately dropped his snack and dashed toward his two fathers.
Though Xiao Linye grumbled about the interruption, he actually adored the child Pei Lanqing had risked his life to give birth to. He bent down at once and scooped him up. “Good, you’re definitely heavier now.”
“Why are you up so early today, Quan’er?” Pei Lanqing, still weak from his ordeal, couldn’t lift his growing son, but he gently stroked his head. “Did you recite your lessons this morning?”
When it came to reciting lessons, Xiao Yuquan wasn’t like other children who found it difficult. He nodded decisively and chirped, “Yes, I did! Father, if you don’t believe me, ask Brother Chi.”
In the early stages of Pei Lanqing’s pregnancy, he had lacked proper nourishment, and the subsequent difficult labor had left Xiao Yuquan frail from birth. Fortunately, he had been conceived as a medicinal fetus, which allowed him to survive repeated serious illnesses.
Xiao Linye and Pei Lanqing were deeply concerned for Xiao Yuquan, but they couldn’t watch over him constantly. Fortunately, Song Pingming, their trusted confidant, had a son named Song Liechi who was only two years older than Quan’er. Song Liechi was a strong, healthy child with a thoughtful nature.
So Xiao Linye summoned him to the palace to stay by Xiao Yuquan’s side day and night.
Thankfully, Song Liechi proved to be exceptionally capable. Despite being just a child himself, he cared for Xiao Yuquan with meticulous attention, and the Little Prince fell ill far less often than before.
Xiao Yuquan adored his new brother, Brother Chi, and insisted on having him by his side wherever he went.
“In response to the Grand Tutor’s question, the Little Prince did indeed memorize all the books this morning,” Song Liechi reported solemnly, bowing to Xiao Linye and Pei Lanqing.
Xiao Linye patted Song Liechi’s increasingly sturdy shoulder and nodded approvingly. “With you watching over Quan’er, I can rest easy.”
Outside, the old eunuch Tian Rui had already brought in the morning meal with the palace attendants. The group sat down to eat.
Although there was no formal morning court today, they still needed to discuss state affairs in the Imperial Study. Over the years, Pei Lanqing had retired to the Imperial Academy, but through Xiao Linye’s intentional and subtle arrangements, he remained fully informed about the court’s political matters.
Initially, the court officials grumbled, but they soon discovered that this emperor, forged on the battlefield, was ruthless in his methods. Only the Grand Tutor could persuade him to show mercy when he imposed severe punishments. Gradually, no one dared to oppose Pei Lanqing’s participation in court affairs. Instead, they hoped he would attend court early to restrain the emperor’s power.
Xiao Linye sat behind his vast dragon desk, reviewing the memorials. The court officials stood before him with bowed heads, except for Pei Lanqing, who sat alone at the emperor’s side, his seat specially arranged.
Today’s discussion still revolved around the drought, floods, and the summer harvest.
To understand Xiao Linye’s attitude toward the southwestern regions in recent years, one must recall the assassination attempt at the Qionglin Banquet.
At the time, Pei Lanqing was in labor, and Xiao Linye’s entire focus was on him. It wasn’t until seven days later, when Pei Lanqing regained consciousness and his condition stabilized, that Xiao Linye remembered Wang Naying.
But the news he received confirmed that Wang Naying had already committed suicide in prison.
Xiao Linye, of course, wouldn’t let the matter rest. He ordered a thorough investigation of everyone connected to Wang Naying, as well as everything that had happened to him since birth. The investigation revealed a connection between Wang Naying and Zhaojiang, a vassal state in the southwest.
Though Xiao Linye spent most of those years in the northern regions, he was briefly dispatched to the southwest when Zhaojiang rebelled and raised arms in revolt. However, the battle proved so effortless for him that he gave it little thought.
Who could have predicted that years later, Wang Naying would emerge?
Yet Xiao Linye didn’t believe this story for a moment. If Wang Naying’s origins were truly problematic, why hadn’t the Imperial Examination’s multi-layered screening process uncovered it?
Clearly, someone was secretly pulling strings, concealing the truth to bring Wang Naying before him for assassination.
As for who this person was—
Xiao Linye’s first thought was Prince Ping Xiao Chengfeng. Prince Ping’s fiefdom was closest to Zhaojiang, making collusion highly likely. Moreover, his maternal family had once wielded considerable power in the imperial court, easily capable of concealing Wang Naying’s identity.
Thus, three years after Pei Lanqing gave birth, Xiao Linye found another pretext to personally lead an imperial expedition, thoroughly crushing Zhaojiang once more. He stationed troops throughout Prince Ping’s fiefdom, effectively scaring the prince to death.
Xiao Linye still felt it wasn’t enough. Such a death was too easy for Prince Ping. He dispatched officials to take over the prince’s fiefdom.
By this time, the flooding in the southwest and the summer harvest had finally concluded. Xiao Linye suddenly had an idea: why not embark on a southern tour to personally assess the aftermath of the disaster and also gauge Zhaojiang’s stability over the past few years?
The moment this thought surfaced, the court erupted in debate.
Some officials argued that Xiao Linye had reigned for over eight years, and the nation’s strength was growing daily. A southern tour would be a fitting display of imperial majesty in the remote regions.
Others, however, cautioned that Zhaojiang remained a persistent threat. For safety’s sake, Xiao Linye shouldn’t risk the journey.
This argument was frankly absurd. Xiao Linye had already led military campaigns to subdue Zhaojiang twice. There was no reason to fear for his safety on a southern tour.
Ultimately, it was Pei Lanqing who made the final decision. His reasoning was simple: he had long held a keen interest in the southwest but had never had the chance to travel there in his youth. Accompanying Xiao Linye on this tour would be a rare opportunity.
And so, the matter was settled.
