SBMT Chapter 66

Originally, Shen Ziqin had planned to finish everything today, but hearing Chu Zhao speak this way, he suddenly had a mischievous idea.

 

Shen Ziqin deliberately said: “It will probably take a few more days.”

 

A few more days?

 

Chu Zhao’s demeanor darkened, his expression sour as he spoke gruffly: “Then I won’t rest. I’ll come help too, so we can finish the work sooner.”

 

What was wrong with these remaining Yuzhou officials? They had passed examinations to get their positions-couldn’t they show some competence?

 

Seeing his sullen expression, Shen Ziqin confirmed that Chu Zhao was indeed jealous.

 

Having been a prince and general for so many years, Chu Zhao hadn’t picked up the bad habits of those in power, but he did have minor flaws, such as being stubborn and proud in personal matters.

 

When jealous, he wouldn’t announce it with fanfare. Though clearly upset that Shen Ziqin had no time for him, he wouldn’t take it out on Shen Ziqin. Instead, he would feel dejected while trying to solve the problem.

 

Shen Ziqin couldn’t help but laugh.

 

Puzzled, Chu Zhao was mentally composing assignments for the Yuzhou officials when he heard the laugh and turned to look.

 

Shen Ziqin served Chu Zhao more food and said softly: “I was teasing you. We’ll finish everything by this afternoon, and then we can prepare to return to the capital.”

 

Chu Zhao was momentarily stunned, then seeing the mischievous gleam in Shen Ziqin’s eyes, he finally understood.

 

“Little Marquis,” Chu Zhao ground his teeth, “was it fun to tease me?”

 

It was indeed fun.

 

But Shen Ziqin knew when to stop. He didn’t answer, just curved his lips into a smile while serving more food as an apology.

 

With others present, Chu Zhao couldn’t do much about it, so Shen Ziqin felt bold and fearless.

 

But Chu Zhao wasn’t entirely without options.

 

Under the table, Chu Zhao reached out and gave Shen Ziqin’s knee a dissatisfied squeeze.

 

He had only meant to vent his frustration, but feeling the rounded knee and seeing Shen Ziqin’s smiling eyes, Chu Zhao’s heart stirred… No one said only Shen Ziqin could be mischievous.

 

Chu Zhao could be too.

 

So he loosened his grip, changing to a gentle five-finger squeeze, and slowly traced a circle in the hollow of Shen Ziqin’s knee.

 

Shen Ziqin’s whole body trembled, nearly dropping his chopsticks.

 

He looked at Chu Zhao in shock, but Chu Zhao acted as if nothing had happened, eating with his other hand and smiling at Shen Ziqin: “Mm, this is delicious. You should eat too.”

 

Shen Ziqin’s hand trembled: “You… mmph!”

 

This man was using massage techniques!

 

Knowing he was ticklish, Shen Ziqin pressed his chopsticks against the edge of his bowl, gritting his teeth to endure, but his eyes were already misting over, his mind and spirit wandering.

 

Xu Yuzhi instinctively looked up when he heard Shen Ziqin’s broken words, only to see the Prince’s consort with snow-white ears turned red, head lowered, chopsticks tapping the edge of his bowl but not actually picking up any food. The Prince was looking at him with a smile, seemingly whispering something.

 

Xu Yuzhi: “…”

 

One shouldn’t observe what’s improper. He lowered his head to eat his rice, not daring to look up again.

 

Chu Zhao’s mischief lasted only a moment. He certainly wouldn’t tease him too much in public. After releasing his hand, Shen Ziqin ate silently, giving Chu Zhao a moderate kick under the table.

 

With his tough skin and thick flesh, Chu Zhao didn’t feel any pain; instead, his smile deepened.

 

After the meal, Shen Ziqin needed to continue working in the afternoon and tried to shoo Chu Zhao away. If he stayed and disrupted his thoughts, they truly wouldn’t finish today’s work.

 

Shen Ziqin pushed Chu Zhao’s back toward the exit while Chu Zhao half-resisted, half-complied, teasing him. Seeing the couple’s playful banter, Xu Yuzhi found Prince Qin’s demeanor far different from what he had imagined and couldn’t help saying: “I never expected Prince Qin to have such a personality.”

 

He showed no trace of being the iron-faced King Yama.

 

Bai Junxing, watching the two, had various storybook scenes involuntarily running through his mind-an occupational hazard. He casually responded: “Off the battlefield, Prince Qin is also a mortal with human emotions. Seeing is believing, hearing is deceiving.”

 

The last four words were pointed, and Xu Yuzhi, thinking of the deep waters of the capital, closed his mouth and dared not say more.

 

Shen Ziqin successfully completed his work. After so long in Yuzhou, he could finally rest easy, as could Chu Zhao.

 

They would return to the capital in two days. Originally, they had planned to enjoy themselves and relax during these two days, but plans often change. When vacation actually arrived, lying flat proved to be the true way.

 

The two moved chairs into the courtyard with a fruit plate nearby, holding storybooks and lazily sunbathing. Shen Ziqin sighed: “Life.”

 

Chu Zhao also sighed: “Decadence.”

 

It had been a long time since they’d been so indulgent.

 

He fed a grape to Shen Ziqin’s lips. Shen Ziqin opened his mouth and ate it, turning a page in his book: “After returning to the capital and Wei Changhai’s downfall, the Great Qi court will undergo a deeper cleansing. He’s involved in too many cases-who knows how many people will be implicated or how long the investigation will take.”

 

Chu Zhao watched as Shen Ziqin’s lips glistened with grape juice: “Is the storybook not interesting or the grapes not tasty? We’re on vacation-why bring up Wei Changhai?”

 

Shen Ziqin: “Because a few days of vacation won’t satisfy me. I want to retire as soon as possible.”

 

In the original story, the Grand Secretary and Deputy Grand Secretary who directly harmed Chu Zhao were completely eliminated, but for the rest of them, the greatest hidden danger remained.

 

Emperor Cheng’an.

 

Eventually, they would have to face this step. Otherwise, what was the purpose of the princes’ scheming? They and Emperor Cheng’an perfectly embodied the saying that in the imperial family, there are no fathers and sons, only deep hatred and resentment.

 

The Crown Prince’s blood was buried in the past, and the second prince is still haunted by nightmares.

 

Chu Zhao spoke treasonous words: “It would be great if we could just anger the old man to death this time. How convenient that would be.”

 

“That would be the ideal outcome,” Shen Ziqin was equally bold. “At the very least, making him fall ill would be good too.”

 

Emperor Cheng’an was advanced in years. If he fell seriously ill, he would definitely direct his anger at the Imperial Preceptor who had been brewing immortality elixirs for him.

 

When the Imperial Preceptor’s head was in danger, wouldn’t that be the perfect time for them to approach him?

 

Shen Ziqin was multitasking, focusing on his storybook while Chu Zhao watched his moist lips move. Chu Zhao’s eyes imperceptibly darkened: “Would you like more grapes?”

 

Shen Ziqin: “Mm.”

 

They were quite tasty.

 

Chu Zhao: “Open your mouth.”

 

Shen Ziqin obediently opened his mouth, but in the next second, there was more than just a grape.

 

Chu Zhao, with the grape between his teeth, personally fed it to the marquis’s mouth.

 

Afterward, Shen Ziqin’s eyes became as lustrous as his lips, rippling with light, his breathing unsteady. Chu Zhao licked his lips: “Indeed juicy and sweet, delicious.”

 

Shen Ziqin, his face flushed with spring, stuffed a grape into Chu Zhao’s mouth: “If you like it, eat more.”

 

Chu Zhao, smiling, ate the grape from Shen Ziqin’s hand, then took his fingers and kissed them.

 

Shen Ziqin: “…”

 

Where did he learn these tricks!

 

Had Chu Zhao been secretly hiding some limited-edition storybooks behind his back?

 

The two days passed in an instant. Shen Ziqin, Chu Zhao, and the others set out, escorting the criminal officials back to the capital. Five hundred men from the southern border garrison accompanied them, while the rest, led by General Nan, returned to their southern garrison.

 

General Nan was reluctant to part, hoping that in the future, Chu Zhao would have the opportunity to come to the southern border as a marshal for routine inspections, allowing him to admire the demeanor of Great Qi’s war god once more.

 

On the journey, they encountered two groups of assassins targeting the Yuzhou officials.

 

Shen Ziqin and the others analyzed that these might not necessarily be Wei Changhai’s doing, but possibly his faction acting on their own initiative. After all, Wei Changhai thought he could distance himself cleanly, but some officials felt they couldn’t escape involvement and were desperate.

 

When one’s life is at stake, how can one not be anxious? So they simply wanted to kill Magistrate Cao and the others on the road.

 

But Shen Ziqin and Chu Zhao had anticipated this, creating an iron defense. After two failed attempts, the other side realized they were up against formidable opponents and no one else came to die in vain.

 

Upon reaching the capital, Shen Ziqin and Chu Zhao unhurriedly presented the evidence pointing to Wei Changhai that they hadn’t mentioned in their previous memorials.

 

Wei Changhai’s face changed instantly.

 

He was usually the best at feigning innocence, maintaining the appearance of a venerable elder. In terms of acting skills, he was second to none. The court officials who had worked with him for many years were seeing his mask completely stripped away for the first time, revealing such panic and distress.

 

Emperor Cheng’an was so angry that he fainted on the spot.

 

“Your Majesty!”

 

The court officials cried out in alarm, though how many were genuinely concerned about the emperor’s health was questionable.

 

Moreover, Emperor Cheng’an’s anger wasn’t about Wei Changhai’s connection to Yuzhou-he had long known about that. He was angry about the massive bandit problem and the fact that Wei Changhai had taken far more silver from Yuzhou than he had imagined.

 

Emperor Cheng’an had always thought that when Wei Changhai made money, they split it 20-80, with Wei Changhai taking 20 and himself getting 80.

 

Instead, he discovered it was 30-70, with him getting 30 and Wei Changhai taking 70.

 

How could Emperor Cheng’an not be angry? He directly collapsed on the dragon throne.

 

Amid the chaos, Chu Zhaoyu calmly had people take Wei Changhai and the others to prison, to await the emperor’s revival for further disposition.

 

When Emperor Cheng’an woke up, he temporarily lacked the energy to handle court affairs. After hearing about the current situation, as Shen Ziqin had predicted, he summoned the Imperial Preceptor.

 

The Imperial Preceptor knelt before the imperial bed, trembling with fear, drenched in sweat.

 

“Imperial Preceptor,” Emperor Cheng’an, having taken medicine, spoke in a deep voice, “the imperial physicians say that my liver fire is excessive, and my anger has generated phlegm, causing me to faint. What do you say?”

 

The Imperial Preceptor kept his head very low: “This subject agrees.”

 

“You agree, you dare to agree! Cough, cough, cough!”

 

Emperor Cheng’an became angry again, coughing several times, his chest tight and painful. He had to temporarily restrain himself and lowered his voice: “I take the immortality elixir regularly and should be in robust health. How could I faint from a moment of anger!”

 

Emperor Cheng’an was, after all, an experienced emperor. When the Son of Heaven’s anger flared, it pointed directly at one’s head. The Imperial Preceptor’s legs weakened, but for the sake of his life, his mouth had to respond appropriately.

 

“Your Majesty, the immortality elixir ensures longevity. Occasional minor illnesses are normal and won’t hinder you or damage your foundation.”

 

Emperor Cheng’an stared at him steadily, until the Imperial Preceptor’s sweat had soaked his clothes. Only then did he slowly speak, telling him to leave the elixir behind and get out.

 

The Imperial Preceptor bowed and retreated from the hall. Only when the great doors closed behind him did he feel as if he had walked through the gates of hell and survived.

 

He was also exhausted.

 

As he walked down the steps, he nearly stumbled and fell.

 

He steadied himself against a stone pillar, looking at the dazzling daylight, feeling that this couldn’t continue.

 

Emperor Cheng’an was increasingly frail, and no one understood better than he did that the emperor’s longevity was nothing but a dream. Thanks to his years of care, a minor illness indeed did no harm now, but what about a few years later?

 

When Emperor Cheng’an discovered that his aging couldn’t be stopped, the first head he would want would be his.

 

The Imperial Preceptor was greedy and had entered the palace for money. He had indeed earned a considerable amount over the years, but no amount of money was worth losing his life.

 

He knew where the problem lay but couldn’t find a solution.

 

Emperor Cheng’an was too shrewd. Although he had given him the position of Imperial Preceptor, he never gave him the opportunity to gain real power. He couldn’t even find a patron to rely on.

 

The Imperial Preceptor wiped his sweat and walked forward. After a distance, at a corner, he encountered a young eunuch.

 

He recognized this eunuch as Little Fuzi, one of the disciples of the chief eunuch.

 

Little Fuzi saw him and bowed in greeting: “Oh, Imperial Preceptor, well met. Have you just come from His Majesty’s bedchamber?”

 

The Imperial Preceptor was equally courteous: “Yes. Is the eunuch going to attend to His Majesty?”

 

Little Fuzi: “Indeed. Has His Majesty awakened?”

 

“Just now.”

 

“The Imperial Preceptor’s healing skills are miraculous. Your medical arts are now the finest in the inner court.” Little Fuzi praised him extensively. “I heard that Prince Qin’s consort also wishes to seek your treatment, but with His Majesty having just fainted, considering that you still need to attend to him, he felt it inappropriate to ask at this time.”

 

The Imperial Preceptor was startled: “Prince Qin’s consort?”

 

He had heard that Prince Qin’s consort was sickly, but they had never had any interaction.

 

Little Fuzi smiled: “Yes, I heard the consort hasn’t been feeling well lately. Prince Qin is anxious and might ask His Majesty for your services in a few days. You’re quite in demand-who knows if His Majesty will be willing to spare you for a visit.”

 

Prince Qin’s consort, Prince Qin… The Imperial Preceptor felt his heart beating rapidly for a few moments.

 

He had heard that the princes had good relationships with each other, but he never had the opportunity to get close to them. Could this be a chance to test the waters and secure a lifeline for himself?

 

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(advanced chapters available on kofi)