By rights, He Xulan should have attended the bonfire party tonight, but instead, he was in Xueya’s tent. Xueya quickly sat up. “Em… Empress Dowager, why are you here?”
He Xulan lowered his eyes and looked at him, his pale face devoid of expression. “Should I not be here?”
“No, not at all,” Xueya immediately smiled in a flattering manner.
Since waking from his fainting spell and learning that he wouldn’t have to serve at Ningfu Palace anymore, Xueya should have felt relieved, but instead, he was filled with fear.
He feared that He Xulan would punish him.
Now that He Xulan had appeared suddenly, it only heightened his concern that his worries might come true.
To avoid being punished, Xueya decided to change the subject. He grabbed onto He Xulan’s sleeve and said in a small voice, “Brother Empress Dowager, I sprained my ankle, and it’s still swollen.”
Xueya carefully observed He Xulan’s expression but saw no change, not even the slightest flicker in his eyes. His own smile faded as he leaned forward, wrapping his arms around He Xulan’s waist, and looked up at him with a timid expression. “Brother, I didn’t ask the Emperor to transfer me back to Fengrui Palace, really. Please don’t be mad at me.”
Finally, He Xulan reacted. “Really?”
“Yes! I didn’t say anything. I don’t know why the Emperor suddenly decided to bring me back to Fengrui Palace. I…” He paused. “I can still come visit you and play like before.”
What Xueya didn’t know was that He Xulan had personally witnessed him throwing himself into Cui Lingjing’s arms. He only thought that even if someone else had seen it and gossiped to He Xulan, all he had to do was deny it vehemently.
He Xulan let out a soft chuckle, raising his hand to gently touch Xueya’s face. The boy’s face still had traces of youthful innocence, his cheeks slightly full, giving a wonderful feel to the touch.
“Our way of playing has changed now, Xueya,” he said slowly, with an implicit meaning.
Xueya’s face flushed, and his hands felt like they were burning.
“Th-that’s…” he stammered.
He Xulan stared at him for a long moment before releasing his hand, his expression turning cold again. “Forget it, I don’t want to force you. If you don’t want to, just serve the Emperor properly from now on.”
As he finished speaking, He Xulan pulled Xueya’s hands from his waist.
Xueya, alarmed, instinctively grabbed He Xulan’s hand, hastily saying, “No, I don’t mean that. Brother, I just…”
Though He Xulan might fall from favor someday, for now, he was still in power. With He Xulan’s protection, life in the palace would be much smoother.
After all, He Xulan liked him—offering a bit of affection wouldn’t hurt, right? As for crossing any lines, Xueya knew those should never be crossed.
With that thought, Xueya made his expression even more pitiful. “I’m just scared.”
“Scared of what?”
“I’m scared you’ll tire of me in the future,” Xueya said, pressing He Xulan’s hand to his own cheek. His eyes, like a little fox’s, were glistening. “I come from a humble background, and I’m not very smart. The only thing I have is this body. I’m willing to give it to you, brother, but will you tire of me one day? Will you find me too stupid or dislike my low birth and my lack of skills?”
“You’re willing to give yourself to me?” A hint of amusement flashed in He Xulan’s eyes, but it disappeared so quickly that Xueya wasn’t sure if he had imagined it.
Though uneasy, Xueya didn’t let it show. After nodding obediently, he pretended to be shy and said, “I’ve already helped you with that, of course I’m willing.”
He Xulan remained silent for a moment before saying, “Then I’ll take your words tonight as the truth. But if you’re lying to me…” He pulled his hand free from Xueya’s grasp and smiled gently, leaving his sentence unfinished.
The sense of unease in Xueya’s heart deepened, but he quickly said, “How could I lie to you? I would never lie to you, brother.”
He Xulan looked down at him, his smile lingering on his lips but not reaching his eyes. He curved his lips slightly as if in response, then sat down on the edge of the bed. “Let me see your foot.”
At his words, Xueya immediately lifted the blanket, carefully bending his knee to show He Xulan his poor, swollen left foot. “Look, brother, it’s really swollen.”
He Xulan saw that his ankle was indeed swollen, but it was clean. “You haven’t applied any medicine?”
“The medicine smells too strong, I don’t like the scent,” Xueya said, leaning against He Xulan. As he looked at his left foot, he couldn’t help but think of Yi Yefeng. If it weren’t for Yi Yefeng tossing him around like a sandbag, he wouldn’t have sprained his ankle. Even if he had sprained it, if Yi Yefeng hadn’t been so rough, how could his ankle have swollen so badly?
Xueya glanced at He Xulan and tentatively asked, “Brother, do you know how I got hurt?”
“Mm.” He Xulan spotted the medicine on the nearby stool and reached for it.
“General Yi bullied me. He tore my skirt, took off my socks, and touched my feet,” Xueya complained, unaware of He Xulan’s movements as he focused on making his case.
Previously, He Xulan had punished Yin Qingxuan well when he found out about the bullying.
This time, during the spring hunt, Yin Qingxuan hadn’t even been able to attend, and Xueya had overheard people whispering that the prime minister had fallen out of favor, although others had countered by saying Yin Qingxuan had only missed the hunt because he was overseeing the imperial exams.
Xueya thought if he exaggerated things, He Xulan might not punish Yi Yefeng directly, but he would at least begin to look at him differently.
Let Yi Yefeng fall for He Xulan? Ha! Yi Yefeng could forget about ever being with He Xulan. Even if Xueya didn’t want He Xulan, he wasn’t going to let Yi Yefeng have him.
“He touched your feet? How did he touch them?” He Xulan turned to look at Xueya.
Just as Xueya was about to answer, he suddenly smelled the medicine and tried to pull his foot back under the blanket, but it was too late. The pain and the strong scent of the medicine overwhelmed him, making him cry out in pain. Worried that someone outside might hear, he quickly clamped his mouth shut.
It hurt too much.
He buried his face in He Xulan’s chest, trembling with the pain.
Suddenly, he felt a cool hand gently pinch the back of his neck.
Confused, Xueya lifted his head, only to have his lips meet He Xulan’s in an unexpected kiss. So close, he could smell the faint scent of alcohol on He Xulan’s breath. He Xulan must have had some wine earlier in the night.
For a moment, Xueya thought of pushing him away, but with the pain in his foot still sharp, he hesitated. After a moment, he gave in and wrapped his arms around He Xulan’s neck, hoping to distract himself from the pain through the kiss.
When the kiss ended, Xueya remained in He Xulan’s embrace, his voice soft and wheedling. “Brother, you have to punish Yi Yefeng for me, okay?”
He Xulan took out a handkerchief and wiped away the moisture from Xueya’s lips. When Xueya asked again for him to punish Yi Yefeng, he replied indifferently, “As you wish.”
Xueya’s eyes lit up. To reward He Xulan, he leaned forward and kissed his lips. “Brother, you treat me the best.”
***
The two eunuchs attending to Xueya returned and were surprised by the strong medicinal smell. “Weren’t you refusing to apply it?”
Xueya didn’t look at them and hid his face in the blanket. “I want to apply it now so it heals faster.”
On the fourth morning at the Sui Bai Race Track, they set out for the capital. The medicine prescribed by the imperial physician was very effective, and by the time they returned to the capital, Xueya could walk on his own, albeit not very quickly.
He moved back from Ningfu Palace to Fengrui Palace, this time into a larger room. Inside, the wardrobe had been stocked with many new clothes.
“These were all made by the Emperor’s order,” the eunuch helping organize Xueya’s room said.
Xueya’s fingers brushed over the various robes and skirts, suddenly recalling the hunting outfit he never got to wear. “Make sure you organize my clothes neatly, especially that hunting outfit. It must not get damaged.”
The eunuch was displeased by Xueya’s commanding tone but, fearing that Xueya might actually rise in rank, complied.
After another half a month, Xueya was finally able to walk normally and went to serve Cui Lingjing. From him, Xueya learned some good news—
Yi Yefeng had been punished with half a month’s salary for drinking while on duty.
Cui Lingjing shared the news with Xueya. “See, I’ve already punished him for you, so let’s forget what happened at Sui Bai Race Track.”
Xueya blinked. “Your Majesty, why would General Yi drink while on duty?”
“Those rough military types love drinking; it’s no surprise he was caught,” Cui Lingjing said with disdain. “I didn’t bother managing it before, but this time Yi Yefeng was reported by a subordinate, so it’s time to tighten discipline and improve military conduct.”
Besides improving military conduct, there was something more important to do at the beginning of the next month.
Cui Lingjing’s birthday was approaching, but his birthday was somewhat special. His mother, the late Emperor’s first empress, died of hemorrhaging while giving birth to him. Because of this, Cui Lingjing never celebrated his birthday with fanfare. Instead, he spent three days every year at Qianfo Temple.
This year was no exception, but something was different. Cui Lingjing had recently appointed an empress, and according to tradition, the empress should accompany him. However, Cui Lingjing had no desire to spend time alone with Empress Lei, and his mood was sour during the journey.
Empress Lei, on the other hand, was in high spirits. She carried a lavish pearl fan, radiating wealth and elegance. From the moment she disembarked the carriage to the entrance of the Grand Hall, her perfume filled the air. Cui Lingjing finally lost his temper, his face dark with anger. “The Empress is not feeling well. Escort her to rest.”
The palace attendants were shocked.
The Emperor was refusing to let Empress Lei offer incense to the late Empress Dowager.
Empress Lei heard the order and, placing a hand on her forehead, said, “Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty.”
With that, she turned and gracefully left, completely ignoring Cui Lingjing’s displeasure.
Xueya, not having the rank to enter the hall, could only stand outside. For three days, Cui Lingjing was to kneel without food, drinking only a little water while reciting prayers continuously. While he couldn’t rest, the palace attendants were allowed to rotate shifts.
On the second day, Xueya stood the entire day, exhausted. As he carried a lantern to the inner courtyard, he chose a shortcut. After walking between the inner courtyard and the Grand Hall several times over the past two days, he knew the quickest path.
As he passed a rock garden, his hand was suddenly grabbed and pulled with force. Startled, Xueya nearly screamed, but a hand quickly covered his mouth.
Seeing the person’s face, Xueya’s panic eased slightly but soon realized something was wrong. Once the hand over his mouth was removed, Xueya immediately asked, “Why did you leave the palace?”
“You weren’t coming to see me, so I had to come find you,” He Xulan said, dressed in black, clearly in disguise. Unlike Xueya’s anxiety, He Xulan seemed indifferent.
“Brother, you… you’re being reckless. There are so many imperial guards here.” Xueya looked around nervously, afraid someone might see them. “You should go back quickly. I’ll come find you as soon as I return to the palace.”
He tried to push He Xulan away, but instead, he was pulled back, his body colliding with He Xulan’s.
He Xulan’s gaze lingered on Xueya. Because they were in a temple, Xueya had changed into a eunuch’s uniform. Despite the unflattering green color, it made him look even more delicate.
Meeting He Xulan’s gaze, Xueya realized that without offering something sweet, He Xulan likely wouldn’t leave. Silently cursing He Xulan for being such a lecher, he took the initiative to embrace him.
But just as Xueya leaned in for a kiss, He Xulan stepped back, surprising him. In his ear, He Xulan’s calm, reproachful voice echoed.
“This is sacred ground.”
Xueya’s face flushed red instantly.
Anyone else might have let go awkwardly in this situation, but Xueya, having already embarrassed himself, was determined to regain some pride. So, he tightened his hold around He Xulan’s neck. “Don’t you miss me? I missed you. Kiss me, I want brother to kiss me.”
Seeing that He Xulan still didn’t react, Xueya’s defiance grew. He jumped onto He Xulan, wrapping his legs around his waist. “I’ve only ever kissed brother, and brother is the only one I want to kiss.”
Despite the scene, He Xulan’s breathing remained steady, and he only responded with a quiet “Mmm.”
Xueya’s gaze moved and stared at He Xulan’s throat.
***
When Xueya was finally let go, he felt like he could barely breathe. He turned his face aside, taking long breaths to steady himself before whispering, “Brother, you need to leave now. If anyone finds out, it will be a real problem. My foot just healed, so I haven’t been to Ningfu Palace. But don’t worry, I’ll come find you as soon as I’m back in the palace.”
With that, he pushed He Xulan out of the rock garden, quickly forcing him to leave. He stayed behind to straighten his clothes and hair before picking up the lantern that had fallen to the ground.
But just as he stepped out of the rock garden, he suddenly heard a woman’s laughter.
“Well, well, caught in the act.”
Empress Lei had appeared without warning, using her pearl fan to half-cover her face. She was alone, with no palace attendants in sight.
Seeing Empress Lei, Xueya’s face went pale. His guilty expression gave him away before she could say another word.
If Empress Lei told Cui Lingjing about him and He Xulan, what would happen to him?
No! This couldn’t reach Cui Lingjing’s ears!
Without a second thought, Xueya dropped to his knees, tears welling up in his eyes. “Your Majesty, I beg you, please spare me. I don’t want to die. Please show me mercy.”
Empress Lei strolled up to Xueya and bent down slightly. Having recently bathed, she carried no strong scent of perfume or powder.
“Sparing you is possible.”
Xueya immediately smiled in relief, but Empress Lei’s next words made that smile freeze on his face.
“You can serve me the way you serve him.”
