SEHE Chapter 89

Greed

“Daren has served as Chancellor of the Imperial Academy for nearly ten years. In the current court, I’m afraid there’s no one who understands education better than you,” Pei Yanci said. “How could this official not trust daren’s words?”

Qi Xiang laughed heartily and patted his shoulder reassuringly. “First, focus on properly handling the establishment of the Education Bureau. That will keep you busy enough for quite some time. If you need me to make any connections, just let me know.”

“This official understands.”

Pei Yanci submitted his written memorial and bid him farewell.

On the way back, he carefully pondered Qi Xiang’s words. In truth, the original purpose of establishing the civil examination system was to give children from ordinary common families a chance to rise in the world. It was quite a fair initial purpose. Since the end of the Great Yu dynasty, through the continuous cycles of history, it had long since blurred from its original form and become a legitimate channel for the powerful and noble to enter the court, squeezing out most opportunities for ordinary people’s children to bring glory to their ancestors.

Lost in thought, he returned to Gewu Hall. His body felt somewhat lighter from the spicy burn of those two cups of wine earlier, but he also felt weary. Since there was nothing pressing today, after wandering through Xu Du’s lecture hall for a bit, he asked Qi Xiang for half a day’s leave and went home.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he smelled the scent of sandalwood incense. Wushu quietly complained, “Young Master Wang spends all day chanting scriptures and meditating, and even drags Mother and me into discussing Buddhist principles. Big brother, when will he go back?”

“I’ll have a word with him later. I caught a chill today, so I’ll rest first.”

“Eh?” Wushu made a sound of concern and tried to grab hold of him, but Pei Yanci had already entered his room. He took off his shoes, socks, and outer robe, and immediately collapsed into sleep.

He slept until after the evening meal. Vaguely hearing someone enter the room, he alertly opened his eyes a crack and saw Tang Xizhui dressed in plain white sitting beside his bed.

Only then did he open his eyes fully. “Why are you sneaking into my room?”

“If I lived in the room next to yours, then I could come in legitimately.”

“Someone’s living there.” He had sweated profusely and now felt refreshed and clear-headed. He sat up wrapped in his sleeping robe.

“That bookworm?” Tang Xizhui shook his head. “Only with him living next to you can I feel at ease.”

This person clearly had no romantic inclinations—all day long it was either classical literary phrases or Buddhist chants. Boring as stagnant water, and he didn’t seem like someone who would be interested in men. He felt quite reassured.

“If I really wanted to do something, you might not necessarily know about it.” Pei Yanci let out a cold snort and asked, “What medicine is this?”

“It’s for treating wind-cold. You soaked in the bath too long last night—the damp cold entered your body. I’ve been worried about you all day.” Tang Xizhui said reproachfully, “You don’t know how to take care of yourself at all.”

He scooped up a spoonful and blew on it, about to bring it to his lips, when Pei Yanci directly took the bowl from him. It was somewhat hot but drinkable, and in one go he downed all the bitter medicinal soup in the bowl.

“It’s all your fault anyway.” Though he had been the one to enjoy it.

Tang Xizhui’s eyelashes lowered slightly, his eyes darkening as he took back the medicine bowl. “How can you drink medicine so fiercely, as if you’re used to drinking it.”

“Drinking it sip by sip is even more bitter.” After finishing the medicine, with something now in his stomach, he had no appetite for food. He yawned and had someone fetch a basin of hot water.

“Already called for.”

“Why does it taste like coptis root?” Pei Yanci’s face paled, the corners of his eyes tinged with a sickly red. The lingering taste in his throat was so bitter that tears welled up in his eyes. He raised his hand and threw a punch. “What did you add coptis for when there’s nothing wrong?”

“Xiao Pei’er, I didn’t expect you to figure it out.”

What’s with that expression of joy seeking praise?

Pei Yanci looked at him expressionlessly. “Don’t randomly mix medicines for me—I can taste them all.” He then listed several medicinal ingredients that had been in the decoction.

It was because he trusted him too much that he was getting cocky.

“You’d better not get sick and fall into my hands,” he ground his teeth threateningly. “Or I’ll poison you.”

“Now that I know, naturally I won’t dare make such additions in the future.” Tang Xizhui dropped his pretense and smiled slyly. “It seems you used to drink medicine quite often.”

“Not particularly often.” Pei Yanci casually brushed it off and yawned again.

Huo Cun came out to report that the hot water was ready.

Tang Xizhui carried him wrapped in his sleeping robe behind the screen, helped him wash off all the sweat, then tossed aside the sleeping robe, carried him to the bed, covered him with a fresh blanket, and conveniently squeezed in himself.

“Can you have some shame? This is my bed.”

“We’ve done it twice already—if we’re not familiar by now, we should be.” Tang Xizhui smiled brilliantly, stealing a kiss on his warm cheek and naturally pulling him into his embrace.

“You call that ‘doing it’? At most you were serving me.”

“Well, I’ve served you twice then.” Nine-Thousand-Years pressed his face into his own chest. “Go to sleep quickly—you’ll be better tomorrow.”

Pei Yanci didn’t have the extra energy to tussle with him. Lying in bed thinking about this and that, his eyelids soon grew heavy again.

Just when Tang Xizhui thought he was about to fall asleep, he heard him suddenly lift his face and coldly say, “It’s all your fault.”

Tang Xizhui touched his nose and soothingly stroked his back. “Yes, yes, it’s all my fault.”

As he stroked, he pressed his index and middle fingers together and lightly tapped twice on his back.

The person in his arms breathed deeply and evenly—he had fallen completely asleep.

He wrapped the sleeping robe around the body to prevent the sick person from catching cold again, then took out a medicine bottle from his bosom. His finger scooped out a dollop of ointment like congealed fat and reached behind him.

Last night Pei Yanci had stubbornly refused to apply medicine, and look—today he had developed a slight fever.

The person in his arms whimpered and furrowed his brow as if about to wake. Tang Xizhui stopped his movements, lovingly kissed the corner of his lips, and after the person settled down again, quickly and carefully applied the medicine.

The faint medicinal fragrance mixed with Pei Yanci’s warm, clean body scent drifted from the collar of his undergarment, tantalizingly teasing Tang Xizhui’s nose, making him feel somewhat intoxicated.

How delicious indeed.

Tang Xizhui licked his lips, his gaze growing increasingly profound. Greedy craving surged in his eyes and boiled through the blood in his entire body. The veins on his neck and the back of his hands faintly emerged. He longingly wanted to cross the boundary, but the last shred of remaining reason became thorny shackles, bloodily imprisoning him from advancing even one step further.

Only twice—far from enough.

He wanted to break him, day and night, make him belong only to him.

When he tired of playing with him, he would merge with him, become a newly grown part of his flesh and blood—was there anything more exciting in this world?

But not yet.

Before that, he had to completely possess this person.

From inside to outside, from body to heart.

He was a mad gambler who, having tasted a little sweetness, wanted more.

He wanted to see this heartless person grow flesh and blood, then completely fall because of him. When his proud backbone was broken, his refined noble bearing stained with dust and mud, the strategic confidence in his eyes replaced by helpless dependence, he would finally realize that only he could be the ultimate reliance.

He would make the most noble person willingly submit at his feet, for him to wantonly defile, dignity completely trampled, just as he himself had once been.

Tang Xizhui let out a low, ghostly laugh. Just thinking about this possible future made his soul tremble uncontrollably.

Pei Yanci treated him like a normal person—he was moved and grateful, but ultimately it was only temporary. He knew his own inner nature well. Once it was discovered, no one wouldn’t recoil from him in fear.

Only by turning him into his own kind could they be together forever.

“Who’s there? Pei Yanci, are you asleep?”

A clear, upright male voice sounded outside the door.

The dark clouds in the night sky were blown away, and the bright moonlight illuminated the sky, spilling radiance across the ground.

Wang Lingche heard laughter coming from inside the room—very strange, unlike anything Pei Yanci would make.

“Vice Chancellor Pei?” He knocked on the door. It was ajar, not closed, which amplified his unease.

He silently recited the Diamond Sutra under his breath. His hand hesitated, but he still pushed open the door.

The room was very dark, but fortunately the moonlight was abundant tonight. As his figure entered, the darkness was immediately dispelled.

A faint medicinal scent floated in the air. He frowned slightly and gripped the sandalwood prayer beads in his hand, looking around.

No one else was there.

A figure curled up on the bed, the thin sleeping robe tightly wrapped around the entire body, exposing only a fuzzy head. Pei Yanci’s fingers clutched a corner of the sleeping robe, his brow tightly furrowed—he wasn’t sleeping very soundly.

Wang Lingche let out a long breath, tucked in the corner of the blanket for him, looked around, moved a square stool from beside the table, and sat leaning against the headboard.

****

When Pei Yanci opened his eyes, he felt that his body was obviously different today.

No dizziness, no drowsiness—the cold was gone, and even the faint discomfort in his body had completely disappeared.

So comfortable.

He stretched his body and yawned.

“Ah—”

His mouth had just opened to yawn when he was startled halfway through.

“Young Master Wang, what are you doing here?”

God knows how frightening it is to wake up and see a living person right by your bedside.

“Keeping vigil for you.” Wang Lingche smiled peacefully. Ever since Madam Wang’s visit last time, after being downcast for a while, he seemed to have returned to his previous state.

“You stayed in my room all night?” Pei Yanci was astonished. This person had entered the room, yet he hadn’t been alert at all.

Wang Lingche nodded earnestly, slowly turning the prayer beads in his hand. “Last night I heard evil spirits moving in your room. I was worried you’d be devoured, so I stayed here to watch over you and chant scriptures for your blessing.”

“Are you a fool?” Pei Yanci recalled Tang Xizhui’s assessment of this person last night and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Or have you listened to too many supernatural stories?”

“I’ve never heard supernatural stories. What are those?” He was puzzled.

“They’re stories that storytellers commonly tell, specializing in all kinds of demons, ghosts, monsters, and stories of fools like you being bewitched by fox spirits.” Pei Yanci mocked. “Alright, stop standing there. Hurry back to your room to wash up and eat breakfast.”

“Oh.” Wang Lingche moved the stool back under the table. As he was about to leave, he defended himself. “I’ve heard scriptures—I know about demons and ghosts. Also,”

He pouted dissatisfiedly, “I’m not a fool.”

Pei Yanci burst out laughing.

Wang Lingche left the room with a straight face. On his way out he ran into Wushu, who said in surprise, “Young Master Wang, why are you coming out of big brother’s room?”

“Good intentions treated like garbage.” Hearing the laughter from inside the room, his eyes reddened—both angry and aggrieved—as he flicked his sleeves and returned to his own room.

“Hey, come eat breakfast!” Pei Yanci came out of his room and called after him.

“I’m not eating!” Wang Lingche slammed his door shut.

Pei Yanci had gotten up late and didn’t have time to eat either. He casually grabbed two sesame flatbreads, wrapped them in oil paper, instructed Wushu to save some breakfast for Wang Lingche, and hurried out.

“Who wants it!” The person inside the room heard his words and shouted back.

When there was no more sound, he opened the door to look—where could he still see any trace of Pei Yanci?

****

When Pei Yanci arrived at the Imperial Academy, he first went to Qi Xiang and learned that the memorial to reform the Imperial Academy had been sent to the Bureau of Ceremonies yesterday. Along the way, he had treated Qi Xiang to a meal at Hongtu Restaurant. This time they didn’t make things too difficult for Qi Xiang. After some pleasantries, he went with him to the Secretariat.

Zheng Qinglai wasn’t there. All matters of the Left and Right Ministers were being handled by Cui Ya. Although Pei Yanci hadn’t yet had dealings with this man, he was Tang Xizhui’s person, so he couldn’t possibly make things too difficult.

Who would have thought that Qi Xiang shook his head and said, “It’s a bit difficult.”

“Cui Ya actually disagrees?”

“He agrees, but…” Qi Xiang sighed. “It’s stuck with His Highness the Crown Prince.”