TERTSGTGBFC Chapter 17

When Pei Lanqing woke up, it was already dark outside. The room was dimly lit by a single oil lamp, casting Xiao Linye’s figure sitting by the bed in stark silhouette.

He hadn’t moved for a long time. Ever since learning that Pei Lanqing was pregnant again, Xiao Linye’s heart had plunged into an icy abyss.

The traumatic childbirth eight years ago remained vivid in his memory. Many nights, he still dreamt of Pei Lanqing lying pale and lifeless in his arms, her long, black hair cascading down like water, a pool of blood gushing from her body that he couldn’t stop…

Xiao Linye had woken countless times from this nightmare, only finding solace in seeing Pei Lanqing still sleeping beside him. Yet this relief was quickly replaced by a paralyzing fear that kept him from falling back asleep. He could only hold him close, feeling his steady breaths and warm body, and stay awake until dawn.

Now, Quan’er was eight years old. Over the years, Xiao Linye had watched Pei Lanqing gradually regain his health under his meticulous care, and he had finally begun to emerge from the shadow of that nightmare.

But now, fate seemed to be playing the cruelest joke on him.

“Grand Tutor… you knew all along, didn’t you?” Pei Lanqing heard him ask in a hoarse voice. “Of course… you’ve been acting so strangely all along the way, and I never guessed…”

“Ye’er!” Pei Lanqing rose from the bed and embraced Xiao Linye, who was shrouded in shadow. “I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner.”

In an instant, Xiao Linye had locked Pei Lanqing in a tight embrace, holding him so fiercely, as if terrified of experiencing the pain of loss again.

“No… It’s not your fault, Grand Tutor.”

“But… but Grand Tutor, I can’t bear to watch you risk your life again!”

He suddenly stood up, clutching Pei Lanqing as he began to walk toward the door. “We’re going back to Fan City, back to the palace! We’ll summon Imperial Physician Feng, Imperial Physician Liu, Imperial Physician Zhao, and Imperial Physician Zhou—all of them!”

“They must have a solution! A way to remove this child, a way to protect you!”

“Ye’er!” Pei Lanqing sensed that Xiao Linye had descended into madness. He could only use his own hands to tightly embrace Xiao Linye’s neck, pressing his forehead against his. “Ye’er, calm down first. Listen to me, alright?”

Pei Lanqing’s breath was so close that Xiao Linye finally snapped out of his previous obsession. Yet he still refused to release Pei Lanqing, standing rooted to the spot in a daze.

Pei Lanqing sighed softly, his hand caressing Xiao Linye’s face in the darkness. “Ye’er, I kept this from you because I feared you would react like this.”

“This child… his arrival was unexpected, but now that he’s here, we must accept him.”

“I don’t want any child. I only want the Grand Tutor.” At this moment, Xiao Linye was no longer the emperor who ruled the world but a fool mocked by fate.

“I know, I know,” Pei Lanqing said, taking the initiative to kiss Xiao Linye, letting his gentle breath soothe his pain.

“Ye’er, remember what Imperial Physician Feng said? Most of the medicine men who have taken the medicine gu can still give birth without complications.”

“Quan’er’s case was just a confluence of too many coincidences. This time, you’ve been by my side from start to finish. Perhaps none of those bad things will happen again.”

Xiao Linye did remember Imperial Physician Feng saying something similar, but he couldn’t accept the possibility of any harm befalling Pei Lanqing.

“Grand Tutor, don’t leave me. Don’t leave me…”

“Ye’er,” even Pei Lanqing rarely saw Xiao Linye so vulnerable and terrified. He kissed him repeatedly, soothing him like he had when they were young. “I won’t leave. The Grand Tutor will never leave Ye’er…”

“The Grand Tutor only needs Ye’er’s protection and care right now. Ye’er will keep both me and our child safe, won’t you?”

Amidst endless pain and struggle, his protective instincts for Pei Lanqing ultimately prevailed. Xiao Linye returned the kiss, pouring all his anxiety and uncertainty into it.

He dominated Pei Lanqing’s lips, repeatedly saturating him with his own breath, while Pei Lanqing offered no resistance, only gently embracing his every invasion.

“Ye’er… let’s go to bed…”

“I… need your… nourishment…”

Pei Lanqing’s words ignited a fire within Xiao Linye. He carried Pei Lanqing back to the bed, his breath heavy, yet his movements gentle.

He could only reassure himself of Pei Lanqing’s presence this way, confirming that his Grand Tutor truly wouldn’t leave him…

When Pei Lanqing awoke the next morning, he was still worried about Xiao Linye’s state. But when he opened his eyes, he saw Xiao Linye looking perfectly normal.

“Grand Tutor, you’re awake? I just had the innkeeper bring up some warm congee. Drink it while it’s hot,” Xiao Linye said, standing in the morning light. His broad shoulders, narrow back, and upright posture were striking, even in simple civilian robes.

He brought the bowl of congee to Pei Lanqing’s bedside, helping him sit up and lean against his chest before feeding him spoonfuls.

“Ye’er, you…” Pei Lanqing looked at Xiao Linye, who was completely different from the frenzied man of the previous night. This sudden calmness worried him even more.

But Xiao Linye only shook his head, fed Pei Lanqing another spoonful of porridge, and waited until he had swallowed it before saying, “Grand Tutor, there’s no need to worry about me. I’ve come to terms with the child.”

“It’s the Grand Tutor who carries the child, who will endure the pain of childbirth. All I can do is take care of you and protect you.”

“How could I let the Grand Tutor worry about my feelings at such a time?”

“No, that’s not it.” Pei Lanqing finally breathed a sigh of relief at Xiao Linye’s words, but he still held his hand tightly, saying, “In Ye’er’s heart, I am most important. But in my heart, Ye’er is equally important.”

“Because you are so important, I will always care about your feelings, no matter what.”

“That’s precisely why I didn’t tell you about the child. But last night… I realized that I shouldn’t have kept it from you in the first place. No matter how long I hid it, my heart still ached the same way in the end.”

“So, Ye’er, from now on, let’s be completely honest with each other about everything. No more secrets, okay?”

Xiao Linye looked at Pei Lanqing and nodded twice. He set down his bowl of porridge and embraced Pei Lanqing tightly. “Alright. From today on, the Grand Tutor will no longer hide anything from me, and I will try to overcome my fear of children.”

“This time, I will ensure the Grand Tutor has a smooth and safe pregnancy.”

+++++

The two had finally cleared the air, but their debate over whether to return to Fan City or the palace reignited.

Fortunately, Pei Lanqing argued that his pregnancy was still early, and their incognito trip was merely to open a shop, not to wage war. It was unlikely anything dangerous would happen. Eventually, he persuaded Xiao Linye.

After resting at the restaurant for another day, their accompanying guards returned with news about the shop. Yuanping Street appeared bustling, but when the guard casually inquired about renting a shop, he was surprised to find many owners willing to transfer their businesses.

This puzzled Xiao Linye even more. Shopkeepers usually closed up shop because they weren’t making a profit. Yet, over the past two days, he had secretly observed the surrounding businesses, and there were plenty of customers coming and going. How could they possibly be losing money?

The more questions he had, the more he felt he needed to try things himself to find the answers.

So, after discussing it with Pei Lanqing, he settled on an inconspicuous teahouse. All he needed to do was change the sign and tidy up the place to reopen for business.

His plan was excellent. When the owner heard he wanted to rent the place, he quickly agreed to the deal. Everything seemed to go so smoothly that it felt almost unnatural.

Sure enough, after they registered the lease at the government office in the morning, before the “Youlan Teahouse” sign was even fully secured, several officials in uniform showed up at the door.

At that moment, Pei Lanqing was sitting behind the counter, using an abacus to record accounts, while Xiao Linye was discussing inventory with someone. Seeing the officials arrive, he guessed they were probably there to solicit bribes. He greeted them with a smile.

“Gentlemen, would you like to come in and rest your feet with a cup of tea?”

The officials ignored his smile. One surveyed the teahouse’s interior, while the other scrutinized Xiao Linye and Pei Lanqing. “You’re new in town, aren’t you?”

“Precisely,” Xiao Linye said, having prepared his explanation long ago. “I’m a tea merchant from the east. I heard Duzhou is prosperous and bustling, so I came to try my hand at a small business here.”

The officer listened to this but only gave him a forced, mocking smile. “If you’re here to do business, you’ll have to follow the rules.”

Xiao Linye exchanged a glance with Pei Lanqing, who immediately retrieved two packets of silver from the counter. “Of course, of course. This is a small token of our respect. Please, gentlemen, buy yourselves some wine.”

To their surprise, the officer’s face suddenly turned furious. “Outrageous! Who do you think you are, openly offering bribes like this?”

Xiao Linye, watching the officer berate Pei Lanqing, wanted to tear the two men into a thousand pieces. But for the sake of gathering more information, he had to swallow his rage for now.

He stepped in front of Pei Lanqing, shielding him, and forced a smile. “It was his mistake, gentlemen. Please don’t hold it against him.”

“Hmph!” The officer’s temper flared even further. He stomped his dirty boot onto a stool and pulled out a crumpled official document from his pocket.

“Make sure you understand this clearly,” one of the officials said. “We’re acting according to official documents from the Prefect’s Manor of Duzhou.”

“All merchants passing through Duzhou must pay a landing fee of twenty taels of silver.”

“Those who wish to open a shop must also pay a stall management fee of ten taels of silver per month.”

“The goods you transport through the city streets are bound to suffer some damage from being trampled. Therefore, there’s also a road maintenance fee of one tael of silver per trip, collected in advance for ten trips per month, with overpayments refunded and underpayments made up.”

“And then there’s…”

As the two officials rattled off each fee, Pei Lanqing added it up on his abacus. By the time they finished, the Youlan Teahouse hadn’t even opened its doors to customers yet, but it already owed a staggering one hundred and twenty-six taels of silver.

Moreover, for every customer who came later, they would have to hand over twenty percent of their profits.

Even Pei Lanqing, known for his gentle temperament, couldn’t help but laugh in anger. Xiao Linye’s face darkened completely. He usually couldn’t stand listening to the long-winded nonsense of the old aristocratic officials in court. Now, hearing this absurd list of exploitative fees, his fingers cracked audibly as he clenched his fists.

Fortunately, Pei Lanqing arrived just in time. She gently grasped Xiao Linye’s hand and whispered, “A moment’s forbearance averts a greater calamity.” His words momentarily extinguished the flames of Xiao Linye’s fury.

Maintaining a strained smile, he stepped behind the counter and carefully counted out the silver taels, presenting them to the officials. “Please inspect them, gentlemen.”

The two officials spoke meticulously but pocketed the silver with lightning speed. After a cursory count, they snatched up the entire bundle. “You’re a law-abiding shopkeeper. Just keep running your business.”

With that, they strode out of the shop.

Pei Lanqing watched them go, then turned to Xiao Linye with concern. “Ye’er, don’t let those petty officials get to you. Just treat it as giving alms to beggars.”

Xiao Linye was no longer the hotheaded youth who only knew how to fight on the battlefield. The breadth of a ruler’s heart allowed him to regain his composure quickly. He sighed deeply, then wrapped his arms around Pei Lanqing’s waist. “Of course, I know it’s not worth getting angry over. After all, they didn’t write the document. Even if I dragged them out and beheaded them right now, the true culprit would still be sitting comfortably in the Prefect’s Manor of Duzhou.”

“I can’t help but feel helpless,” Xiao Linye said, his voice tinged with frustration. “I pride myself on being a fair and just ruler, and I’ve devoted my heart and soul to governing the court. Compared to the previous emperor and the deposed emperor, I’ve certainly done far better.”

“Yet I never expected such blatant corruption and injustice to still exist within Great Qi’s borders. It truly chills my heart.”

Pei Lanqing understood Xiao Linye’s words perfectly. He simply smiled gently, pulling Xiao Linye’s hand and guiding him to sit at the table. He spoke in a soothing tone, offering comfort.

“Great Qi’s territory is vast, Ye’er, and we have countless officials, both high and low, scattered across the land. Among them, there are good officials and bad ones. During the reigns of the previous emperor and the deposed emperor, corruption ran rampant, with bad officials pushing out good ones. It was only after you ascended the throne that we began to gradually root out these evils.”

“So, Ye’er, you mustn’t blame yourself so harshly. Your willingness to investigate and punish this corruption is already a great blessing for the people of Great Qi. In our lifetimes, we will travel across Great Qi’s mountains and rivers, exposing every corrupt official and evil deed until we usher in a true era of prosperity and clarity for our nation.”

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