Silence.
The maids’ faces burned redder, unsure if they should look.
“Go on, look,” Xiao Yun encouraged.
“…Yes, Your Majesty.”
Blushing furiously, they slowly let their gazes drop lower.
The Emperor was tall enough to envelop a woman in his arms. He was broad-shouldered, lean-waisted, and powerful, yet not overly bulky like the brawny generals who frequently entered the palace. He was perfectly proportioned—strong but not crude, elegant but not frail. He exuded both strength and refinement, making him far more attractive than any military man.
The maids’ faces flushed crimson, their hearts pounding wildly.
They were of marriageable age, yet having served Xiao Yun closely, they had long since become spoiled for any other man.
Though their emperor was unpredictable, his status, appearance, and prowess were unmatched. He was even known for showering those he favored with excessive indulgence. Many palace maids secretly harbored feelings for him.
Yet, he usually found women troublesome—either too calculating or too meek to be interesting. He preferred the company of rough, sweaty men practicing martial arts over mingling with fragrant, delicate women.
Why was he suddenly flirting today?
Could it be…
“So?” Xiao Yun asked with a teasing smile.
The maids remained silent, their faces flushed, their breaths shallow.
Pleased with their reaction, Xiao Yun turned his gaze toward the eunuchs. “And you?”
Clang!
A eunuch carrying a copper basin dropped it to the floor.
Panic-stricken, he immediately knelt. “Your Majesty, please forgive me! This servant was careless! I deserve death!”
The crash startled the other eunuchs out of their daze. Within moments, their faces were even redder than the maids’. They fumbled with their words, unable to form a coherent response.
Xiao Yun was satisfied.
With looks and a body like his, how could Xie Caiqing remain completely unfazed? That ungrateful fool!
Fine. Let him go find some plain, unremarkable woman instead. See if he doesn’t regret it!
Noble Consort Zhen was sent to the Cold Palace.
He pointed at a few particularly handsome young eunuchs whose faces were flushed. “You, you, you, and you—you all will attend to my dressing.”
The palace maids, who had been eagerly anticipating the opportunity, looked at each other in disappointment.
—
In the afternoon, Xie Caiqing was about to make his routine visit to Yangxin Hall to serve His Majesty when he was stopped halfway by an approaching Yin Xian.
“Top Scholar, wait a moment!”
Xie Caiqing halted and stood still, waiting for him.
Yin Xian dashed over, panting. Xie Caiqing instinctively reached into his sleeve for a handkerchief to offer him. His fingers had already grasped the edge of the fabric when he suddenly paused, then casually lowered his hand as if nothing had happened. Instead, he inquired with concern, “Gonggong, what is the matter?”
Yin Xian said, “Come with me, Top Scholar. I’ll explain on the way.”
Xie Caiqing glanced in the direction of Yangxin Hall before replying gently, “Alright.”
By now, he had already established a good rapport with Yin Xian, who was very fond of him. Given Yin Xian’s naturally warm and quick-witted nature, he didn’t bother with pretense and spoke candidly. “His Majesty is napping this afternoon, so I took the opportunity to gather a few ministers to discuss an urgent matter. Time is of the essence—we must be back within an hour at most. You’re someone with good judgment, so I wanted you there to help us come up with solutions.”
“I wouldn’t dare presume, but I would be honored. May I ask what this matter concerns?”
At the mention of it, Yin Xian seemed to sink into distress. His usually shrewd eyes dimmed with anxiety. “If this isn’t handled well, I fear I will completely fall out of favor.”
“What is it?” Xie Caiqing grew more curious.
Yin Xian glanced at him, speaking in a deliberately vague manner. “It’s a problem that eunuchs don’t have.”
Xie Caiqing looked puzzled. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”
Yin Xian persisted with his hints. “A problem that all eunuchs wish they had but don’t.”
Xie Caiqing still had no clue.
Yin Xian sighed in frustration, then, after considering the Top Scholar’s age, realized it wasn’t surprising. He gestured for Xie Caiqing to come closer.
Xie Caiqing leaned in.
Yin Xian whispered a few words in his ear. When he pulled back, he saw Xie Caiqing’s pale and refined face flush a deep crimson, resembling a newlywed bride who had just been teased by her husband.
Perplexed, Yin Xian asked, “Why is your skin so thin? You’re a grown man—surely this isn’t news to you?”
“…Isn’t this perfectly normal?” Xie Caiqing avoided Yin Xian’s gaze, looking off to the side as he responded slowly.
“It is normal. His Majesty has always been in good health, and in the past, this was expected. But in the past half-month, it has been… particularly frequent—especially this morning.”
“I wait on His Majesty daily, and I can’t think of any specific incident that might have triggered this. No palace maid has been getting too close to him either. Maybe it’s just the hot weather making his energy surge, or maybe he’s simply at that age, full of youthful vigor. That’s why I secretly called for the ministers—Top Scholar?”
When no response came after a long moment, Yin Xian finally noticed something amiss and called out to him.
Xie Caiqing, his face still warm, spoke in a quiet voice, “Has His Majesty not…?”
“Ah,” Yin Xian sighed. “His Majesty is particular—especially when it comes to those who share his bed.”
Xie Caiqing was taken aback. “Is that so?”
“Of course. You wouldn’t believe how picky he is.” Yin Xian shook his head.
“But if His Majesty is so selective about bed companions, that shouldn’t prevent him from enjoying himself otherwise.”
“That’s just it,” Yin Xian huffed, eager to share all the details. “I once asked His Majesty why he never visited a woman. He said that while indulging once for pleasure was fine, those women would then be bound to him for life. Even if he disliked them, they would cling to him because they had no other choice. Just the thought of being stuck with someone he didn’t like for the rest of his life disgusted him.”
“And if a child came from it, he’d be burdened with fatherhood forever. He doesn’t even like the mother, so why would he care for the child? He barely has enough time to enjoy himself as it is. What was meant to be momentary pleasure would instead become a lifelong debt. He’d have to worry about the child’s upbringing, education—why would he create trouble for himself? He says that if he wants a pet, he’d rather raise a bird. If he gets bored, he can just give the bird away. But women and children? You can’t just hand them off to someone else.”
“His Majesty is truly a man of principle,” Xie Caiqing said mildly, though inwardly, he was certain that Xiao Yun was simply someone who hated inconvenience.
He thought that if Xiao Yun were willing to cooperate, he could leave sooner rather than later. He had no intention of clinging to him. The child wouldn’t need him either—he would raise the child himself, without letting Xiao Yun know or troubling him in any way.
If things worked out, then since Xiao Yun would be helping him, he would, in turn, ensure that Xiao Yun suffered no loss or inconvenience. They would part on good terms.
—
Along the way, Yin Xian kept rambling about his grievances—how bitter, unlucky, and miserable he was. He spoke so quickly that Xie Caiqing initially made an effort to listen, but upon realizing that he couldn’t fully grasp everything, he switched to his usual tactic of handling talkative people: appearing mildly concerned, occasionally furrowing his brows, and now and then showing surprise or worry. Whenever Yin Xian paused for breath, Xie Caiqing would interject with an interested “And then?” or “I see.”
“Top Scholar, you truly understand me,” Yin Xian sighed in admiration, knocking twice on the door before them.
A minister opened it, and the two stepped inside as the door closed behind them.
Xie Caiqing glanced around the room and was momentarily stunned—nearly all the high-ranking second-rank and above officials were present. The majority were elderly men with graying beards; the youngest among them seemed to be at least fifty. He was the lowest-ranking and most inexperienced of them all—by a significant margin.
Realizing he was entirely out of place, Xie Caiqing prepared to excuse himself before the ministers could cast scrutinizing and wary glances his way. With a warm smile, he said, “I will wait outside—”
“Nonsense! The more minds we have, the better!” Minister Liu Yun squeezed through the crowd and pulled Xie Caiqing to his side without allowing him to refuse.
Xie Caiqing still intended to decline, but surprisingly, the other ministers all nodded in agreement.
“The Top Scholar should stay. This isn’t classified information, but it is a matter of utmost importance. If he understands the issue, he may be able to persuade His Majesty later on.”
Xie Caiqing, still baffled, nodded blankly.
Unlike in Nanruo, where factionalism was weak and high-ranking officials kept to their own circles, the ministers of Great Ning had somehow united for this cause.
What matter could possibly bring all of them together?
Xie Caiqing stood behind Liu Yun, listening.
Yin Xian, in his usual exaggerated manner, theatrically recounted his “tragic” experiences. The ministers, far from being concerned, grew visibly excited, their faces glowing with enthusiasm.
As Yin Xian listed the days of His Majesty’s “joyous events,” Xie Caiqing’s face slowly heated, and he bowed his head.
How could Xiao Yun’s ministers openly discuss such matters like it was a military defense strategy?
Yin Xian sighed, “If only I’d figured out His Majesty’s thoughts sooner, I wouldn’t be in this predicament. Whether I regain His Majesty’s trust depends entirely on—”
An elderly minister cut him off, beaming. “Say no more! We shall submit a petition urging His Majesty to select concubines and produce an heir!”
Liu Yun slammed the table. “Not in a few days—tomorrow! If we wait, His Majesty might change his mind. Can you bear the guilt if we miss this chance? Another four years of waiting—can His Majesty’s body endure?!”
Xie Caiqing’s eyes widened.
Why is it that they can bring the Emperor’s private matters to the table and talk about them as if they were defending a besieged city, all full of righteous indignation and united hatred?
“Then how should we handle it this time? Last time, after all that effort rehearsing, His Majesty said it looked too staged. This time we need to learn from that and make it seem more natural.”
“That’s not the point. Last time we made such a big scene and the Emperor still didn’t agree. This time we cannot make a smaller fuss than before. If His Majesty agrees this time, wouldn’t that just make him lose face? That would be totally inappropriate.”
“Exactly, that’s the point! This way, it’ll look better on His Majesty’s part. Then we can go through a few rounds of back-and-forth with him. His Majesty sternly refuses, we humbly insist. His Majesty seriously declines, we persist with all our hearts. His Majesty gently turns us down, we weep and wail and hold our ground. Finally, His Majesty, with no other choice, reluctantly agrees. When that happens, we’ll all remember to praise His Majesty for being considerate of his ministers, concerned for the nation, and thinking about the everlasting peace and prosperity of Great Ning!”
“…”
Xie Caiqing’s usually calm and indifferent face was now full of disbelief.
A group of ministers were chatting away with great enthusiasm, completely unaware of the out-of-place top scholar among them.
An elderly minister fretted, “But we already had every court official we could get last time. How are we supposed to make it bigger this time? It’s just one day—we don’t even have time to notify everyone! And even if we did, many aren’t in the capital. We can’t gather them all in time. There won’t even be time to plan out our talking points. It’ll be a chaotic mess, and His Majesty will definitely get angry and blame us for not even managing such a simple task properly.”
Xie Caiqing had a bad feeling—the situation was clearly spiraling out of control.
Yin Xian suddenly had an idea: “We don’t necessarily need a lot of people! Making a big scene doesn’t mean having a large headcount. As long as we’re loud, that’s enough.”
“Loud?”
The ministers perked up and all looked at him.
Yin Xian said proudly, “We can cry at the palace gates!”
Xie Caiqing’s already-stiff expression instantly froze.
The so-called “crying at the palace gates” meant kneeling at the door, slapping it with all your strength while bawling your eyes out, shouting like your life depended on it, wailing with snot and tears flying everywhere—basically begging and screaming to the heavens.
The effect was comparable to mourning at an imperial funeral.
