SEHE Chapter 102

Sharing a Bed

“To think I was actually worried about you just now.” Pei Yanci said irritably, “It’s so hot, let go.”

Tang Xizhui hugged him tightly once more before reluctantly releasing him. He swept the sweat-dampened hair from Pei Yanci’s forehead back behind his ear and smiled, “Don’t keep someone like me in your thoughts. I’m not worth it.”

Pei Yanci’s heart skipped a beat. These words sounded like self-pity—surely just another ploy to deceive him.

It must be. He firmly reinforced this thought in his mind.

“Even you think that a great treacherous official who wields power over the court, beautiful as a woman, with profound martial arts, possessing strange eyes, temperamental, violent and bloodthirsty—with all manner of behavior different from ordinary people.”

“You’re quite self-aware, but stop praising yourself.” Pei Yanci curled his lip.

Tang Xizhui smiled slightly. “Someone who made himself utterly wretched, desperately clawing his way up—surely must have some unknown past of deep blood vengeance, some extraordinary background to support his current position. But unfortunately, the first thirteen years of my life were completely ordinary, without the slightest ripple. Everything I do is purely by my own will.

“I’m good-looking because my parents and ancestors had Western Region blood. My mother was a dancer from the Western Region, renowned far and wide. The martial arts manuals were obtained by tens of thousands of spies from the Elu Bureau who had been sent into the jianghu. My strange eyes are simply because I accidentally ate medicinal herbs as a child.”

“Then what about after you turned thirteen?”

The casual air on Tang Xizhui’s face faded somewhat. “Tell me, which grand eunuch serving before the Emperor has ever been enfeoffed as prince or appointed minister, with the power to execute or spare court officials at will, and the special privilege of affixing the yellow seal to government affairs?”

“Quite a few.” Pei Yanci tapped his head teasingly, successfully watching the Nine-Thousand-Years Daren’s face darken.

“Did you read all those history books straight into a dog’s belly?”

“That’s right—otherwise how would the Thousand-Years Daren have such brilliant literary talent?”

Tang Xizhui held back his retort. After a long moment, he turned his head away. “Your fever just broke. This lord won’t quibble with you.”

“Really?” Pei Yanci smiled cunningly. He sat up suddenly and leaned close, grabbing Tang Xizhui’s shoulder and viciously biting his face.

“Hiss—who’s the dog here!” Tang Xizhui shot him a coquettish glare, but ultimately let him have his way.

Pei Yanci licked his sharp upper teeth with his tongue, grinning triumphantly. “Try lying to me again.”

Tsk, now his face was ruined.

Tang Xizhui took out a small mirror. His fingers wanted to touch the two rows of bright red indented tooth marks but didn’t dare. His enchanting eyes held both reproach and helplessness.

His whole body was covered with this person’s teeth marks.

And his disgusting saliva.

The Nine-Thousand-Years frowned in distaste.

But seeing that Pei Yanci’s mood had finally shifted from earlier dejection to relaxation, Dugong Daren was magnanimous and decided not to hold it against him.

He’d been worried for so long, fearing this person would be affected in mind and spirit by Qi Xiang’s matter.

“When you have your imperial audience tomorrow, be extremely careful.”

Pei Yanci’s expression turned serious. “What do you mean?”

But Tang Xizhui said nothing more. He directly pushed Pei Yanci to the inner side of the bed, making as if to claim the remaining half.

“Hey, my fever just broke.” Pei Yanci said warily.

“What do you think I’m going to do?” Tang Xizhui lifted his eyelids, unbuckled his belt, and removed his outer robe. “It’s the middle of the night—should I leave right after arriving?”

“Can’t you?” Pei Yanci raised an eyebrow.

He really wanted to strangle this heartless person.

“Move over. This lord deigning to share half the bed with you is already a great favor.” Tang Xizhui waved his hand dismissively at him. “Watch out or I’ll make you sleep on the floor.”

This was truly unreasonable.

Reluctantly, Pei Yanci shifted over, and even ordered Tang Xizhui to take out a new pillow from the cabinet.

When they finally lay side by side on the bed, both realized something felt off.

Lying together fully clothed like this, not doing anything—it felt strange somehow, awkward in an inexplicable way.

Tang Xizhui stared at the white cranes embroidered on the canopy overhead, trying to ease this awkwardness. “Are you sleepy?”

“Mm.” Pei Yanci pretended to yawn, though actually he’d been lying down for two days and had slept several hours tonight—he was quite alert.

“Are you sleepy too?”

“Mm.” The Nine-Thousand-Years also responded. Listening to his deep and shallow breathing, how could he possibly sleep?

Both simultaneously closed their eyes.

“Sleep then.”

“Mm.”

Pei Yanci lay stiffly. After a while his whole body felt uncomfortable, but if he turned toward the other person, he feared his weakened body might somehow climb onto his waist of its own accord.

Turning his back—wouldn’t that seem too cold and unfeeling?

He decided turning his back was better after all.

Just as he turned over, his left hand was suddenly grabbed by an icy cold hand, stopping his movement.

Pei Yanci instinctively opened his eyes.

Tang Xizhui didn’t open his eyes, as if he’d truly fallen asleep, his hand merely moving unconsciously.

Both knew the other wasn’t sleeping.

Pei Yanci returned to lying parallel with him, keeping his limbs proper, lying straight as a board.

That bone-chillingly cold hand still hadn’t released him. When his fingers moved, Tang Xizhui thought he wanted to break free and loosened his grip, only to immediately have his hand grasped in return, their ten fingers interlacing.

“My Father Emperor isn’t a good person either.” A faint voice floated out between the bed curtains, exploding by their ears.

Tang Xizhui’s thick, curled lashes trembled. Finally he struggled to open his eyes.

Pei Yanci had already closed his eyes and couldn’t see anything, but he knew—Tang Xizhui and his father had an insurmountable grudge.

The story might be false, but the heart was real.

No one would fabricate such a disgusting and miserable ending for a blood relative in a fictional story.

The more false it was, the more it represented what the narrator desired.

After a long moment, Tang Xizhui’s lips twitched into a bitter smile.

His heart swelled with sourness. Unable to restrain himself any longer, he turned and pulled Pei Yanci into his arms.

Pei Yanci’s cheek nuzzled open his collar, contentedly and comfortably nestling against his chest as he wrapped his arms around Tang Xizhui’s waist.

Finally, he could sleep well.

****

Having been granted the fourth-rank position of Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, now a key court official, Pei Yanci should enter the palace to express his gratitude. After Tang Xizhui got up and left, he also rose with the hazy dawn and hurried early to Qi Xiang’s residence.

Two days had passed since he’d fallen ill from the rain that day. He’d wanted to come the next day, but having been unconscious for a day and night, he’d scared Wuli and Wushu half to death. Only when he woke yesterday did they finally relax.

Then Wuli, sporting dark circles under his eyes, closed his eyes and fell straight asleep.

Wushu immediately started wailing—not from worry, but to tattle, detailing all the bad things that fat bastard had said about Pei Yanci while he was unconscious.

Pei Yanci lit three sticks of incense before the memorial tablet, then pressed some silver into the hands of Madam Qi and her son who were keeping vigil in the mourning hall, before boarding his carriage for the palace.

The Great Yu Imperial Palace was located within the Imperial City. The southern part of the Imperial City housed the central government offices. Going north, Guangyun Gate, Chengtian Gate, and Changle Gate stood in a row. Once through the towering city gates lay the palace proper. To the west were the Yeting and Inner Attendant Ministry where palace maids and eunuchs resided. To the east was the Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace. In the center was the Xuanwei Palace where the Emperor lived.

“Xuan” is the ancestor of nature, the great source of myriad differences. Dim and deep it is, thus called “wei” (subtle). The two characters “Xuanwei” were taken from the opening of the famous Daoist work Baopuzi.

Hearing this palace name, Pei Yanci’s interest was lackluster.

What use was profound cultivation? Forget achieving immortality—they couldn’t even manage resurrection through possession of another’s body.

Xuanwei Palace was an enormous palace complex. The foremost building directly ahead was the Jiuxiao Hall where court was normally held. To the left was the Lingxia Hall for entertaining foreign guests, and to the right was the Ganchen Palace where the Emperor handled government affairs.

This time, Pei Yanci was going to Ganchen Palace.

The Emperor sat enthroned at the head, looking down from afar at the youth below.

Pei Yanci performed a grand bow. When he finished his words of gratitude and stood up, he stole a glance from the corner of his eye—only he and the Emperor were in the hall, no one else.

“Chancellor Pei.”

Before he could think further, the Son of Heaven above had already spoken. He quickly bent slightly at the waist.

“You need not be so formal.” The Emperor sighed. “The tragic death of Chancellor Qi truly pains Zhen deeply. Just a few days ago, he stood in your very position, recommending you, vouching that your ability was sufficient for the position of Chancellor, swearing it on his life.”

“Chancellor Qi showed this subject the grace of recognition. This subject owes him my life.” Pei Yanci said.

“He devoted himself wholeheartedly to the Imperial Academy for over a decade. If he truly found worthy talent, his death could be considered meaningful.” 

Pei Yanci’s clasped hands tightened.

“You were originally the Crown Prince’s person. Because of this connection, Zheng Qinglai also treated you generously.” The Emperor smiled lightly, like a sincere and amiable elder. The years hadn’t carved too many marks on his face. “Though you’re an adopted son, he placed great hopes in you, giving you whatever you wanted. This time you could become Chancellor, he exerted considerable effort. Even crows know to feed their parents in return—don’t forget this debt of gratitude.”

Pei Yanci was about to agree when his heart suddenly tightened.

After a minister’s promotion, coming to express gratitude was just an established custom. But the Emperor cultivated year-round; even Tang Xizhui and the Crown Prince rarely saw him. His fourth-rank position seemed prestigious to outsiders, but compared to those ministerial elders, it really wasn’t much. A simple expression of gratitude, just going through the motions—why would the Emperor personally receive him?

He remembered Tang Xizhui’s reminder from last night.

A simple imperial audience of gratitude, yet he must be extremely careful.

Did the Emperor think he wasn’t “worthy talent”?

But the following words made him sense the Emperor’s regard and satisfaction with him.

Learn to be grateful.

Grateful to whom? Zheng Qinglai? Or the Crown Prince?

He suddenly understood.

Under heaven, all is the king’s land. Whether himself, the Crown Prince, or Zheng Qinglai—all were subjects of one man. Their positions today were all results of the Emperor’s bestowed grace.

The one who placed great hopes in him was the Emperor.

But why?

“This subject, as the Crown Prince’s household servant and Minister Zheng’s adopted son, will not forget their grace in promoting me. But starting from the polo field, this subject’s release from slave status was Your Majesty’s great favor. Entering court and immediately becoming a sixth-rank Vice Chancellor was also the result of Your Majesty’s and Minister Zheng’s guidance. Now that this subject can hold the position of fourth-rank Chancellor, besides thanking Minister Zheng and expressing gratitude for Qi Daren’s recognition and favor, I deeply understand that imperial majesty is vast, with clear sight and keen hearing.”

These were all standard platitudes for an imperial audience, just without excessive glorification of the Zheng family’s difficulties or his own gratitude to them.

If he only said these things, his official position would probably have reached its limit.

“Minister Zheng exhausted his mental energy for this subject’s position, even secretly befriending court officials to deceive Your Majesty’s hearing. Though this contained a father’s devoted love, using it wrongly constitutes deceiving the sovereign. Such behavior must never happen again.”

Pei Yanci had read the Emperor’s intent. What he wanted wasn’t gratitude, but “righteous betrayal of kin.”

“You understand what’s important.” The Emperor’s tone took on a trace of amusement, more warmth than his earlier probing, finally seeing his potential as “worthy talent.”

Pei Yanci didn’t dare look up, instead bowing his head even lower.

Before him stood the highest authority in Great Yu.

Never mind how the outside world spread tales of Tang Xizhui wielding power over all under heaven, being arrogant and unbridled, not even placing the Emperor in his eyes. If anyone completely believed this, they weren’t far from death.

“Zheng Qinglai always has his own ideas and way of doing things. Zhen doesn’t like to interfere with him.” A meaningful expression appeared on the Emperor’s gaunt face, though the person below couldn’t see it. “He’s currently in mourning at home, inevitably melancholy. You should visit Zheng Manor often and keep him company. You said Zhen has clear sight and keen hearing, but even Zhen occasionally dozes off. If Zheng Qinglai doesn’t come out for all three years, Zhen might forget about him. Come walk around Ganchen Palace often in the future.”

A flash of secret delight crossed Pei Yanci’s heart. This time, he could finally answer “Yes” with peace of mind.

The jackal lies in wait in the shadows, while the fierce tiger sends the fox as his eyes and ears.

This time, he could bully others under the fox’s borrowed authority.