The enthronement ceremony was the first major challenge Xueya faced as emperor. He was almost crushed under the weight of the heavy ceremonial robes. But that was just the beginning. The next day, during the morning court session, Xueya was both exhausted and completely bewildered.
Before dawn, He Xulan had dragged him out of bed, helped him wash up, dress, and placed him in the imperial carriage. By the time Xueya was somewhat awake, he was already sitting on the dragon throne, staring blankly at the ministers below.
Half of the ministers were from the old Li dynasty, while the other half had followed them from Kangwu County. They all knew their task for the day: to put on a performance and make the “new emperor” truly believe he was the emperor.
To make the act convincing, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue was the first to step forward. “Your Majesty, it’s time to compile new household records and conduct a population census to prepare for next year’s conscription…”
He went on and on, leaving Xueya thoroughly confused.
Xueya understood each word individually, but when put together, it all became a blur.
When the Vice Minister asked, “What does Your Majesty think of this plan?” Xueya could only reply dryly, “Good, good.”
No sooner had the Vice Minister returned to his place than the Vice Minister of Rites stepped forward. One after another, the ministers spoke non-stop. Though none of them were trained actors, they made the performance all too real by discussing twice as many matters as they normally would in a typical court session. These were all decisions that He Xulan had already made beforehand; the day’s court session was just meant to be a formality for Xueya.
But the performance was too convincing, and not long after the court session ended, Xueya had curled up in a corner, crying. By the time He Xulan arrived, he found Xueya pitifully nibbling on a cornbread that Huang Gonggong had given him, tears welling up in his eyes.
“Why are you crying? Did the ministers say something harsh?” He Xulan had been busy preparing for the “demon concubine’s” burning ritual when he rushed over upon hearing that Xueya was crying.
With tears in his eyes, Xueya shook his head. “No, they said confusing things.” He looked up at He Xulan and took another bite of his cornbread. “Brother, I don’t understand what they’re saying. They said so, so many things. I’m hungry and tired, and they kept asking me questions. Waaaaah…”
He burst into sobs again.
He Xulan tried to hold it in, but in the end, he couldn’t help but laugh. When Xueya heard him laugh, his crying stopped abruptly. He stared in shock at He Xulan, who hadn’t yet managed to wipe the smile off his face.
“Well…” He Xulan cleared his throat, pretending to cover his mouth with a loose fist. “It’s fine. Everything they said in court today will be written up as memorials. I’ll read through them with you. Don’t cry. Let’s have breakfast first.”
With He Xulan’s reassurance, Xueya managed to stop crying, but reading through the memorials became his next challenge.
There were so many words, and their meanings were so complex. Xueya didn’t understand any of it.
He blinked his wide, innocent fox-like eyes, glancing alternately between the memorials and He Xulan’s face. Understanding his plight, He Xulan patiently broke down each character, explaining everything word by word, preventing another crying episode.
They spent the entire night going over the memorials, and it was so late by the time they finished that Xueya felt like he had only just gone to sleep when He Xulan woke him up again.
“Guan Guan, it’s time to get up for court.”
That day, Xueya didn’t cry, but he fell asleep on the dragon throne. The ministers, dedicated to their performance, had rehearsed a scene where they’d argue in court, but after arguing for half the morning, they realized there was complete silence from the throne. When they glanced up, they saw their “new emperor” fast asleep on the dragon throne.
The ministers: “…”
Was he really able to sleep through all that noise?
When He Xulan noticed that Xueya hadn’t cried after court, he was a bit surprised. “How do you feel today?” he asked.
Embarrassed to admit he had fallen asleep, Xueya mumbled, “It was fine.”
Though Xueya didn’t mention it, one of the ministers tattled, and He Xulan soon learned that Xueya had dozed off in court. However, He Xulan said nothing. While he could tolerate it, the ministers could not, so on the third day, when Xueya fell asleep again, the ministers deliberately raised their voices to wake him up. By the fifth day, Xueya no longer wanted to be emperor. In his chambers, he pleaded with He Xulan.
“Brother, I don’t want to be emperor anymore. You do it instead. I don’t understand anything they’re saying, and I can’t read what they’re writing. If I stay emperor, this country will be ruined.” The more Xueya spoke, the sadder he became, as though he could already see the country falling into ruin before his eyes.
He Xulan set down the teacup in his hand. “You’ve already ascended the throne, so you can’t just say you don’t want to be emperor anymore.” Seeing that Xueya was about to cry even harder, he calmly added, “But I can help you—help you attend the morning court, help you review the memorials. But remember, you are still the emperor. I’m just helping you, understood?”
Xueya was stunned for a moment. “Is that really possible?”
“Of course. There was an emperor in the previous dynasty, Emperor Xiaoxian, who was frail and sickly, unable to manage state affairs. His empress handled all matters on his behalf, and she was highly praised by the people.” He Xulan paused for a moment before continuing, “However, if I’m the one helping you with court matters, it might be seen as improper. And if things are seen as improper, they won’t succeed. Guan Guan, what do you say I am to you?”
As He Xulan said this, he gently pinched Xueya’s chin.
He rarely spoke in such a seductive tone, but when he did, Xueya’s face turned bright red instantly.
Xueya didn’t dare look at He Xulan’s face, but He Xulan held his chin, not allowing him to avoid his gaze. In the end, Xueya covered his eyes with his hand and barely managed to squeeze out two words from his throat.
“Husband.”
“Mm. Then your husband will help you handle the state affairs.” He Xulan kissed the back of Xueya’s hand.
***
The ceremony to appoint the empress was meant to be grand, and the next auspicious day wasn’t until mid-month of the following month. So, although He Xulan had not yet officially become Xueya’s empress, he had already started attending morning court and reviewing memorials on Xueya’s behalf. With no need to attend court, Xueya felt much more relaxed and had time to do other things. One day, he saw Yi Yefeng leaving the study and immediately blocked his path.
“Yi Yefeng.” Xueya stopped him, and due to their height difference, he had to look up to face him. “I’ve been meaning to ask you—are your wounds healed?”
Yi Yefeng looked down at Xueya and gave a slight nod.
Xueya was a bit skeptical. Last time, an arrow had pierced right through Yi Yefeng’s arm. Unable to resist, Xueya poked Yi Yefeng’s injured arm. It felt solid, and there was no visible change, so he switched from poking to pinching.
“Your Majesty,” Yi Yefeng suddenly spoke, “What are you doing?”
Xueya continued pinching. “I’m checking if your injury has healed. Doesn’t it hurt?”
“No, it doesn’t.”
“Oh.” Xueya was a little disappointed. He had wanted to show some concern and express his goodwill, especially since he had slapped Yi Yefeng twice very hard before. Now that he was truly with He Xulan, he felt a little guilty towards Yi Yefeng.
In an effort to mend their relationship, the second time Xueya stopped Yi Yefeng, he brought out a medicine box he had prepared in advance. It contained the same treatments that Cui Lingjing had once used on him—excellent for removing scars and whitening the skin.
“Here, take this. It’s for getting rid of scars. And this one, you should apply to your face before bed. It will make your skin whiter.” Xueya flashed a look that said, What can I do? I was born naturally beautiful. “Although you may not become as white as me, it’ll help when you’re looking for a partner. You also have to use the scar cream daily. That way, your skin will be smooth and soft to the touch.”
Yi Yefeng’s brow twitched slightly, his voice low and husky. “How soft?”
