After Murong Xu finished speaking, Ling Chen remained silent for a long time.
He stared at Murong Xu without blinking. His face had grown much thinner, and though he showed no expression, Murong Xu felt a tightness in his chest.
“Your Highness, are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?”
As Murong Xu spoke, he pulled out an oil paper package from his robe. Inside were fragrant, crispy strips of dried meat.
“Try this. You’ve had it before—I know you like it.”
Murong Xu poured some hot tea and made sure Ling Chen ate half a pack of the dried meat with it.
Once Ling Chen was full, Murong Xu, like performing a magic trick, brought out a large bundle of dried herbs.
“Don’t be fooled by how this looks like regular grass. It’s actually a flower that can be used for a bath—it’s good for relieving fatigue.”
“Come on, let’s go soak in a hot spring.”
Murong Xu’s suggestion finally elicited some reaction from Ling Chen.
Ling Chen lifted his eyes to look at him and pressed his lips together.
“I’m not going.”
Murong Xu: “…”
Murong Xu thought for a few seconds and rephrased his offer, “You can soak by yourself. I won’t get in the pool.”
Ling Chen: “Alright.”
Murong Xu: “Well, that was a quick answer.”
By this time, night had already fallen, and most people in the palace were fast asleep.
Without disturbing anyone, Ling Chen went to the palace’s hot spring pool.
The pool was surrounded by warm mist, and Murong Xu scattered the dried flowers he had brought into the water.
After finishing that, he glanced at Ling Chen, who was sitting by the pool in just his white undergarments, and couldn’t help but ask, “Your Highness, are you sure you won’t let me join you? It’s late at night, and if your leg cramps up while you’re soaking alone, what will you do?”
Ling Chen, sitting at the edge of the pool, responded calmly, “No need to worry about me.”
Murong Xu lingered, grumbling, “Your Highness, you’re so stingy. I came all the way back here, and you won’t even let me share the spring.”
Ling Chen heard his mumbling clearly.
He glanced at Murong Xu, and after a long pause, spoke just as Murong Xu was about to leave.
“Fine, stop complaining. You can soak over there.”
Ling Chen pointed to the far side of the pool, indicating that Murong Xu should keep his distance.
Murong Xu, pleased by this concession, immediately broke into a grin.
“Your Highness is so generous, treating me so well!”
The tone in which Murong Xu said this clearly mimicked his little nephew.
After his flattery, he wasted no time jumping into the pool.
The spring, filled with scattered dried flowers, now had two people soaking on opposite sides.
Ling Chen, still dressed in his inner clothes, soaked on one side. Murong Xu, on the other hand, was undressed, having shed his outer robe as he relaxed and splashed water over himself.
Ling Chen frowned.
Just as he was about to scold Murong Xu for his lack of propriety, his gaze caught sight of the scar on Murong Xu’s chest.
The scar was alarming, running diagonally from just below the collarbone past his heart.
Ling Chen stared at the scar, his expression freezing.
“Your Highness, aren’t you going to try my way? It’s much more comfortable to soak this way,” Murong Xu continued, still promoting his method of enjoying the bath. He had been talking for a while, and by now, Ling Chen would usually have told him to shut up.
But even after chattering on for so long, Ling Chen hadn’t told him to be quiet.
“Huh, you—”
Murong Xu found it strange and turned to see what was going on.
When he looked, he found himself meeting Ling Chen’s gaze.
“Your Highness.”
The look on Ling Chen’s face made Murong Xu’s heart skip a beat. He inwardly cursed himself for being careless and quickly grabbed a towel, attempting to cover his chest.
But it was too late.
“Murong Xu, how dare you deceive me.”
Ling Chen’s face was as dark as water as he stood up from where he had been sitting.
He strode over, his eyes never leaving the scar on Murong Xu’s chest.
Murong Xu stammered, “Your Highness, I—let me explain—”
“Didn’t you say in your letters that you had never been seriously injured?”
“Didn’t you claim victory in every letter?”
Ling Chen thought back to the letters he had received, his fists clenching.
Murong Xu nervously licked his lips.
He had indeed only reported that he was safe, leaving out the minor detail of his injuries.
If he had known he’d end up in a hot spring today, he would have gone to get some scar-removal ointment beforehand.
But now, it was too late.
Seeing Ling Chen getting closer, with such a dark expression, Murong Xu’s lips moved, but he couldn’t come up with any excuses.
All he could do was stand in front of Ling Chen and admit his mistake. “I know I was wrong.”
“Your Highness, I shouldn’t have deceived you.”
Ling Chen was truly furious. He raised his hand and slapped Murong Xu hard.
The deep scar over Murong Xu’s heart was enough to tell how dangerous the situation must have been.
And yet, Ling Chen had never been informed.
In that moment, Ling Chen felt the blood in his chest boiling.
Murong Xu knew Ling Chen was angry, so even though he could have dodged the slap, he didn’t move.
The slap was just about to land on his face, but then, at the last moment, it stopped.
Ling Chen still had some reason left. He spared Murong Xu’s face, which was still needed to face others, but instead, he kicked him hard.
Murong Xu: “…”
Murong Xu was kicked away but quickly got back up and approached again.
As soon as he did, Ling Chen kicked him again.
After a few more kicks, Ling Chen’s anger finally started to subside.
Murong Xu, despite being kicked, didn’t get upset. He smiled and said, “Your Highness, my skin’s thick. Be careful not to hurt your foot.”
Ling Chen: “…”
Ling Chen looked at him with disgust. “The way you’re acting right now, you really remind me of my little servant, Little Xiazi.”
Murong Xu was speechless.
He reluctantly stopped his antics and sat quietly in the spring, not daring to make a sound.
With Murong Xu’s antics, the pent-up frustration that Ling Chen had been harboring for days seemed to dissipate.
The water in the spring remained at a constant temperature, and after soaking for nearly half an hour, they finally got out.
Whether it was Murong Xu’s jokes or the soothing effect of the hot spring, Ling Chen slept soundly for the first time in a long while.
After arranging for Murong Xu to sleep in the side hall, Ling Chen opened his eyes the next morning only to find the familiar sight of a fluffy head beside him again—Murong Xu had snuggled up next to him, just like before.
Ling Chen shut his eyes in frustration, too tired to even comment on Murong Xu’s boldness anymore. After a moment, he opened his eyes again, only to find that Murong Xu was still fast asleep. Ling Chen didn’t get up right away, and no servants had come to wake him. He laid there quietly, observing Murong Xu’s handsome face, which bore the faint traces of dark circles under his eyes from obvious exhaustion. Murong Xu must have rushed all the way back without rest.
While Ling Chen watched him, Murong Xu suddenly opened his eyes, catching Ling Chen off guard. Their gazes met, and Murong Xu smiled. “Your Highness, why are you sneaking a look at me so early in the morning?”
Ling Chen was silent, his expression unchanging, as he sat up. In the next moment, he lifted his foot, ready to kick Murong Xu. Luckily, Murong Xu anticipated this, grabbing Ling Chen’s leg before it connected and sitting up as well.
“Your Highness, are you getting angry out of embarrassment?” Murong Xu teased, causing Ling Chen’s expression to darken even more. Without a word, he forcefully kicked him off the bed.
Ling Chen got up to handle state affairs, and Murong Xu, for once, didn’t follow him. He stayed behind, lounging in Ling Chen’s bedchamber without showing his face elsewhere. Despite his lingering presence, Ling Chen didn’t chase him away. Days passed with Murong Xu always around, sharing meals and lodging with Ling Chen. Though they often bickered, Murong Xu never ended up being thrown out.
A few days later, Murong Xu left at dawn. Before leaving, he sat on the bed, watching Ling Chen, who was fast asleep, clutching a blanket. He watched for a long time before whispering softly, “Your Highness, may everything go your way. Don’t always put so much pressure on yourself. I’ll be here to support you.”
After a pause, Murong Xu got up and left. The moment he stepped out, Ling Chen opened his eyes—awake, alert, and without a trace of sleep.
Time passed quietly for the adults, but in the children, its effects were stark. The young prince, who had once been too small to walk steadily through the palace, had grown into a young man in the blink of an eye. He even had someone he liked.
Ling Chen, sitting on the throne, watched as his younger siblings grew up, married, and started families of their own. Some of his younger brothers already had children. Yet, his own seat of empress remained vacant.
The ministers were increasingly anxious, pushing for a selection of potential consorts. However, the usually mild-tempered Ling Chen displayed a deep impatience whenever the topic of selecting a consort came up. He repeatedly used state affairs as an excuse to delay the process.
Amidst this ongoing refusal, the most beloved young prince of the country held a grand and unprecedented wedding. The other party in this wedding? None other than the Emperor of Great Qing.
The wedding did not go smoothly at first, but after a series of unexpected incidents, it eventually gained acceptance. After the wedding, Ling Chen had the Ministry of Rites draft a law allowing same-sex marriages. The law declared that as long as two people loved each other, regardless of gender, they could marry.
Despite the new law, no one dared to be the first to marry under it. That is, until Ling Chen issued a decree that shocked the entire nation—he intended to marry Murong Xu, the fifth son of the Murong family, and make him the Empress of Qi.
The decree caught everyone off guard, including Murong Xu. Holding the imperial edict in his hand, Murong Xu was still in a daze. He wanted to rush into the palace to see Ling Chen, but Ling Chen didn’t grant him an audience. Instead, he told Murong Xu to stay home and prepare, and to start studying how to be a proper Empress.
Unable to see Ling Chen, Murong Xu returned to his family home. Faced with his family’s complex expressions, Murong Xu gradually accepted his new reality, his confusion giving way to calm. A smirk tugged at his lips, and his voice brimmed with barely concealed pride. “Father, Mother, your son is going to be the Empress. Isn’t that impressive?”
The Murong family: “…”
They had no words.
After many days of preparation, on a clear, sunny day, Murong Xu donned the specially designed Empress attire and entered the palace. The Emperor and Empress’s wedding was celebrated nationwide, and the nation was granted three years of reduced taxes as a sign of the Emperor’s joy.
That night, Murong Xu sat on the bed, his head covered with the traditional red wedding veil. Ling Chen lifted the veil, revealing the familiar handsome face beneath it. Their gazes locked, and Murong Xu suddenly grinned.
“Ling Chen, you still haven’t properly confessed to me.”
For years, the feelings between them had been tacit, never spoken aloud. They had slept in the same bed, embraced, and felt desire for one another, yet never had they explicitly confessed.
In the warm glow of the dragon and phoenix candles, Ling Chen’s throat bobbed, as if ready to speak, but before he could, Murong Xu smiled and beat him to it.
“Ling Chen, I love you. I’ve loved you for a long, long time.”
Ling Chen: “…”
Ling Chen, now robbed of his chance to speak first, pressed his lips together before leaning in close.
“Empress, I love you too.”
He didn’t know exactly when his feelings for this man had begun.
He only knew that the first time this person kissed him, his heart had pounded wildly, and he didn’t want to run away.
He couldn’t escape this person, and for the rest of their lives, they would be together.
Another novel completed!!! Thank you to all the readers who joined us on this journey and supported my translations, it really does mean a lot!!! <3 If you enjoyed the translations and the novel, please make sure to give the novel a good rating and review on Novelupdates or donate on Ko-fi or Paypal <3P.S. Go check out the other amazing novels being translated on this site :))
