Ever since the emperor had told the top scholar not to serve before him anymore, Xie Caiqing had seemed somewhat downcast at the Hanlin Academy.
He still performed his duties impeccably, leaving no room for criticism, but he had grown quieter. He hardly initiated conversation with others, and when someone spoke to him, he would lift his head a beat late, offer a gentle smile, then quickly return to his work.
Others, unaware of the complex history between Xie Caiqing and the emperor, assumed that he had been trying to curry favor for a shortcut to power. Now, they believed he had failed miserably and fallen out of favor, much to their schadenfreude. Some, however, sympathized with him, remembering his poor background.
Liu Yun, on the other hand, was relieved. He thought it was better for Xie Caiqing to focus on scholar things instead of chasing power.
As a result, he loaded Xie Caiqing with an overwhelming amount of work over the past few days. Even his other students struggled to keep up. At first, Liu Yun hadn’t expected him to complete everything—he just wanted Xie Caiqing to learn from his seniors. But to his surprise, Xie Caiqing completed every task meticulously, flawlessly, and without complaint. He even remained humble, never boasting about his work.
Liu Yun was greatly impressed and grew even fonder of him, pushing him harder.
That day, as Xie Caiqing massaged his temples after a long day of work, a young eunuch entered the hall and approached him.
“Top Scholar, will you be free after dismissal?”
Xie Caiqing poured the eunuch a cup of tea and asked warmly, “I am. What’s the matter?”
The young eunuch, flattered by the gesture, softened his demeanor. “Yin Xian Gonggong wishes to catch up with you.”
“When and where?”
“Right now, at the Imperial Horse Bureau.” The eunuch’s eyes carried a hint of hope.
Xie Caiqing, having completed his tasks, agreed readily. “Very well.”
The eunuch seemed surprised by his quick acceptance. After a brief pause, he sighed softly, “You’re the only one who still thinks of him. Lately, Gonggong has reached out to many people, but they all avoid him like the plague, afraid of being associated with him and ruining their chances at promotion. If you’re afraid as well, just say the word—Gonggong won’t blame you. We all understand.”
Xie Caiqing smiled faintly. “It’s fine.”
He had no interest in power or promotion.
He didn’t bother explaining further.
The eunuch, deeply moved by Xie Caiqing’s character, added, “Gonggong is tending to the horses. You should wear something light and easy to clean.”
“Understood.”
After changing clothes, Xie Caiqing followed the young eunuch out.
Behind them, two low-ranking scholars whispered among themselves.
“Why is he still associating with Yin Xian? Is he trying to ruin his own future?”
The other scoffed, “Misery loves company, doesn’t it?”
The first chuckled. “Haha, true enough.”
….
Imperial Horse Bureau
Amid the thick stench of horse manure, Yin Xian and Xie Caiqing took a stroll.
Yin Xian was deeply touched and sighed, “I never expected you to actually come, especially to a place like this. You must feel wronged.”
Xie Caiqing shook his head. “It’s nothing. I grew up poor. I smelled this kind of scent plenty as a child.”
Yin Xian thought to himself: You only know who your true friends are when you’re down and out.
He cut to the chase. “Do you want to see His Majesty?”
Xie Caiqing was caught off guard.
“His Majesty’s horse is about to give birth. Over there.” Yin Xian gestured. “I received word that the emperor will be coming, so I sent for you.”
Xie Caiqing hesitated for a moment before saying sincerely, “Thank you for your kindness, Gonggong.”
Yin Xian chuckled. “If you hadn’t come, you wouldn’t have this luck. It’s not kindness on my part.”
He patted Xie Caiqing on the shoulder. “We’re both in the same boat, and you still remember me. Of course, I’d lend you a hand.”
Xie Caiqing thought to himself that Yin Xian was slick and shrewd, but ultimately, his heart was in the right place.
After all, Xiao Yun would never keep a truly wicked eunuch by his side. Yin Xian was cunning, but his loyalty to Xiao Yun was unwavering.
“Come with me, the timing should be just about right.”
On the way, Yin Xian suddenly smacked his forehead. “Ah, my memory! I forgot to ask—what did you do to make His Majesty dislike you?”
“…” Xie Caiqing remained expressionless. “I do not know, Your Excellency.”
“Well, that’s not surprising. His Majesty has always been impossible to figure out—”
“Whinny—!” A sharp, pain-filled neigh echoed from ahead.
Xie Caiqing turned toward the sound. A group of people surrounded a pitch-black horse lying on the ground, fumbling around in a panic.
“We only managed to grab one front hoof!”
“Put some strength into it!”
“What do we do? There really are two foals, but we can’t find the other hoof.”
“That’s the wrong one!”
“What now? It won’t come out!”
Yin Xian, startled by their rough handling, abandoned Xie Caiqing and ran over, shouting sharply, “What are you all doing?! Be gentle! This is His Majesty’s beloved horse! If anything happens to it, do you all want to lose your heads?”
“Gonggong, the foal won’t come out,” the stablehand said anxiously.
The mare’s belly was alarmingly swollen, and she thrashed on the ground in agony. People held her down as a single pale foal’s leg was stuck behind her, the horse’s agonized whinnies piercing the air, making everyone who heard them shiver.
Xie Caiqing couldn’t help but make an association in his mind. He stood still, his face turning slightly pale.
He pressed his lips together, then stepped forward.
He might not have raised horses, but he had raised plenty of small white foxes. Compared to the scheming minds of people, he often found comfort in the company of animals.
“Top Scholar, don’t touch it! You’ll get yourself dirty!” a concerned palace attendant warned.
Xie Caiqing shook his head. He wasn’t of much help anyway, so he simply knelt and gently stroked the mare’s belly to soothe her.
The black horse’s dark eyes fixed on him as she panted, letting out a few weak whinnies, almost as if in gratitude.
Under his hand, her belly was taut and convulsing, something within moving restlessly, struggling to come out. The pale sac of afterbirth appeared and disappeared as the mare strained and then slackened, swelling and shrinking in turn.
By the time Xiao Yun arrived, both the horse and the people had nearly exhausted themselves.
The moment Xiao Yun spotted Xie Caiqing crouching beside his beloved horse, he frowned deeply.
“Your Majesty!” Yin Xian rushed up to him, sweating in distress. “The foal won’t come out! They’re both too big, and the positioning is wrong! The mare is out of strength, and we can’t find the hooves…”
Across from them, a white stallion inside the stable was watching his mate suffer. He neighed frantically, pacing in circles and swishing his tail in frustration.
Xiao Yun glanced at the distressed white horse and said, “Calm down, calm down. Old Bai really is something, huh? Two at once. I haven’t seen one this strong in over ten years.”
The people who had been running around in a panic couldn’t help but chuckle at that.
Xiao Yun rolled up the sleeves of his court robe. “Move aside, all of you. Step back—hold the black mare up.”
Xie Caiqing hurriedly stood, ready to withdraw with the others.
“Top Scholar, if you want to keep petting her, go ahead. She likes it,” Xiao Yun said offhandedly.
“…Oh.” Xie Caiqing crouched back down, his hands becoming a bit unsteady.
Xie Caiqing had avoided horse stables ever since being kicked by a horse as a child. Aside from carriage rides, he had little interaction with them and knew even less about delivering foals. He watched in confusion as Xiao Yun rolled his sleeves up to his shoulders, exposing his strong forearms, and wondered what he was about to do.
“Be careful it doesn’t splash on your face,” Xiao Yun warned.
Xie Caiqing looked at him, bewildered.
What?
Before he could react, Xiao Yun turned back to the mare and, to Xie Caiqing’s utter shock, slowly inserted his entire arm into the horse’s rear.
The mare let out a piercing, anguished cry.
“Bear with it,” Xiao Yun muttered. “This is what you get for eating so much and never exercising. Serves you right.”
Then he shoved his other hand inside too.
The horse’s belly, already stretched to its limit, seemed on the verge of bursting as Xiao Yun’s arms disappeared into it. Fluids and filth poured out, splattering his dark, gold-embroidered robe.
Xie Caiqing stiffened as he watched. Instinctively, he touched his own stomach.
Xiao Yun moved his hands around inside the mare, searching for something.
“Ugh, these hooves are all over the place,” he grumbled. “If you weren’t capable, why’d you go and conceive two, huh?”
The mare whimpered.
“Actually, never mind. It’s not your fault. This is Old Bai’s fault.”
Xie Caiqing: “…”
Xiao Yun’s habit of talking to himself wasn’t news to Xie Caiqing. Stiffly, he continued rubbing the mare’s belly.
He could even see the movement of Xiao Yun’s hands inside the horse.
An indescribable unease and tension crept over him, making his chest tighten. Xie Caiqing bit his lip, forcing himself to stay composed.
Finally, Xiao Yun located the two front hooves of one of the foals and grasped them firmly. He glanced around, searching for someone. “Hey—never mind, you.”
Xiao Yun’s gaze landed on Xie Caiqing. “Come here and hold onto me.”
Xie Caiqing, who had been lost in thought, widened his eyes in disbelief.
“Hurry up!” Xiao Yun commanded.
Xie Caiqing scrambled to his feet and approached in confusion, hesitantly extending his arms.
“Your Majesty, how… how should I hold you?” he stammered.
Xiao Yun smirked. “Wrap your arms around me from behind. You don’t know how to do that?”
“…I—I do!” Xie Caiqing walked behind Xiao Yun and hesitated for a moment before awkwardly placing his hands around him.
Feeling that the embrace was too loose, Xiao Yun scoffed. “You think you can help like that?”
Xie Caiqing suddenly realized and quickly corrected himself. “It… It was my mistake.”
Gritting his teeth, he pressed his body firmly against Xiao Yun’s back and wrapped his arms around him.
Xiao Yun felt the warmth of the body behind him and smiled slightly. Keeping his expression neutral, he said, “Lower. That’s my ribcage. Are you even trying?”
“Understood…” Xie Caiqing whispered.
Xiao Yun tilted his head slightly. In front of him, Xie Caiqing’s soft, scholar’s hands finally wrapped tightly around his waist.
Xiao Yun thought that he could actually go a little lower. While his mind wandered, he held onto the two small foal hooves and spoke in a seemingly serious tone, “When I tell you to pull, just pull me backward with all your strength.”
“…I understand, Your Majesty.”
“Pull.”
Xiao Yun was tall, and since Xie Caiqing was holding him tightly from behind, he couldn’t see what was happening in front of him. He could only follow orders, gripping Xiao Yun’s waist and pulling back with force.
“Pull! Use more strength.”
“Top Scholar, is that all the strength you’ve got?”
The man’s voice was deep and teasing, his warm breath brushing against Xie Caiqing’s ear. Xie Caiqing’s face flushed uncontrollably. To exert more force, he had no choice but to hold on even tighter, ensuring he had a stable grip.
He was almost merging into Xiao Yun.
Xiao Yun’s body was scorching hot and firm.
“Pull! It’s almost out.”
In front of Xiao Yun, after the two little hooves emerged, the foal’s head followed. Once the hardest part slipped out, with a final push, the entire foal was born.
With a splash, the amniotic fluid burst out from the sac, splattering all over Xiao Yun. In an instant, his luxurious robe was dirtier than a rag.
Thanks to Xiao Yun acting as a shield in front of him, Xie Caiqing was spared from most of the mess, except for a little on his hands.
The surrounding people collectively sighed in relief, their faces lighting up with joy.
With the first one born, the second became much easier. Xiao Yun repeated the process, and this time, without much trouble, the second foal was delivered.
The black horse’s belly finally flattened.
Both foals were healthy and full of life, wriggling on the ground—one black, one white, their dark eyes blinking curiously. Their wet newborn fur clung to their small frames, but they were already bursting with energy. They bent their knees, attempting to stand, and the black one nearly succeeded.
Xie Caiqing, having been protected by his imperial brother for most of his life, had never witnessed such a sight before. Seeing the foals stand moments after birth was strangely fascinating—a wonder of life he had never imagined.
Unconsciously, a smile formed at the corner of his lips.
“How long does Top Scholar plan to keep holding onto me?” Xiao Yun asked.
“…Forgive my rudeness.” Xie Caiqing immediately let go, stepping back two paces and lowering his head, not daring to look at him.
Xiao Yun turned his head. Seeing Xie Caiqing’s flushed face, he was about to tease him when his brows suddenly furrowed, and his expression darkened.
What the h*ll was he doing just now? Hadn’t he told himself not to see him again?
Xie Caiqing glanced at the dirt and grime covering Xiao Yun, especially the filth on his arms. For the first time, his usual aversion to uncleanliness didn’t surface. He glanced at the lively little white foal that had finally managed to stand and, surprisingly, found Xiao Yun’s lack of cleanliness… less repulsive.
Of course, the man himself was still insufferable.
Shameless scoundrel. Rotten lecher.
Feeling the weight of Xiao Yun’s complicated gaze on him, Xie Caiqing quietly said, “…Since Your Majesty does not wish to see me, I shall not remain an eyesore.”
He turned to leave. Xiao Yun opened his mouth as if to call him back, then shut it again, cursing under his breath. Frustration surged through him as he swung his arms irritably.
This whole situation was a d*mn mess.
Xie Caiqing walked a few steps before pausing, then turned back. Xiao Yun frowned at him, torn between telling him to scram and wanting him to stay. For the first time, he wished someone would either disappear forever or simply act like a lovestruck concubine, throwing themselves into his arms and calling him “Your Majesty.”
…He was probably filthy and reeking right now.
What a ridiculous mess.
“I thought you didn’t want to be an eyesore?” Xiao Yun said coldly.
Xie Caiqing’s face paled slightly but still approached. Lowering his head, he pulled a pristine white handkerchief from his sleeve, grabbed Xiao Yun’s hand without hesitation, and pressed it into his palm.
“Your Majesty, wipe yourself,” he said gently.
Before Xiao Yun could react, Xie Caiqing had already let go, turned around, and walked away. His retreating figure carried a hint of loneliness.
Xiao Yun stared at him, feeling an inexplicable discomfort.
Lowering his gaze to the white handkerchief embroidered with a delicate pattern of intertwining kites, his expression grew darker.
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