Chapter 54.2 Chip Chip Chip Chip Chip…
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Li Jinyu felt as if he had just had a long dream.
In the dream, he found himself amidst a raging fire, surrounded by burning darkness. The scorching heat and suffocating smoke filled the air, causing his entire body to crack and his throat to grow hoarse.
He desperately tried to run, but everywhere he turned, the flames grew fiercer.
It seemed as if the whole world had transformed into a sea of fire, with no escape in sight.
In his dream, he ran in all directions, with only one thought in his mind: Where is Huo Caiyu?
The one who promised to be his support, Huo Caiyu?
Would he come to rescue him?
As if his wish had come true, Li Jinyu had not run far when he was tightly embraced by a pair of familiar hands.
Even without looking at his face, he knew it was Huo Caiyu.
Huo Caiyu’s body carried a slight coolness, which felt particularly comforting amidst the blazing fire.
Without thinking, Li Jinyu nestled into Huo Caiyu’s embrace.
He waited for Huo Caiyu to lead him out of this fiery scene, but unexpectedly, he heard Huo Caiyu whisper, “I’m sorry.”
Li Jinyu lifted his head in confusion and saw in Huo Caiyu’s eyes a fire that burned more fiercely, more intensely, but also more tenderly than the surroundings.
Those flames spread and seeped into his body, igniting his flesh, and melting his entirety.
He merged with the flames, becoming one with them, soaring upward, chasing towards the higher sky.
Li Jinyu felt as if he was about to reach the pinnacle of the world, almost touching the heavens. The exhilarating sensation of being suspended in the air and the unknown sense of dread mingled within him, making him both excited and fearful.
It seemed as though Huo Caiyu’s warmth was still by his side, and faintly, he could hear Huo Caiyu’s voice.
Just as Li Jinyu’s flames touched the highest sky, suddenly a bolt of lightning struck, and the intense shock paralyzed his fiery form, with flashes of white light appearing before his eyes.
Subsequently, he plummeted from the heights, descending rapidly.
………
Li Jinyu abruptly regained consciousness.
Before even opening his eyes, he felt an immense heaviness in his body, a stark contrast to the lightness of soaring towards the sky in his dream.
Not only that, his entire body ached intensely, as if it had been run over by a heavy armored vehicle. From the tips of his ears to the ends of his toes, an indescribable discomfort permeated.
Particularly in an indescribable and sensitive area behind him, there was a hidden piercing pain.
Li Jinyu opened his eyes, his head still dizzy, and blinked with a sense of confusion.
Who am I? Where am I? What had happened?
As he tried to sit up after regaining his senses, he realized that he had not a single thread of clothing on his body. Any movement caused pain in the undisclosed area behind him, making him grimace.
At that moment, the bedside curtain was lifted, and Huo Caiyu approached with a basin of warm water. Seeing Li Jinyu opening his eyes, he paused for a moment and said, “Your Majesty is awake?”
Li Jinyu, in a dazed state, mumbled, “Hmm… Why aren’t you wearing clothes?”
Unlike his previous neatly dressed appearance, Huo Caiyu had his hair loosely tied at the back of his head. His upper body was bare, revealing well-defined yet proportionate muscles, while he wore only a light-colored undergarment on his lower body.
Li Jinyu faintly felt that there was something different about Huo Caiyu, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint the distinction.
Huo Caiyu’s expression seemed somewhat peculiar. He pursed his lips and bent down to place the basin on the floor. “Does Your Majesty feel any discomfort?”
Li Jinyu still hadn’t fully comprehended what had happened, so he instinctively complained to Huo Caiyu, “Zhen’s whole body aches, and Zhen’s buttocks hurt…”
“Thud!”
Suddenly, Huo Caiyu knelt down abruptly, startling Li Jinyu.
“This humble official has blasphemed against the dragon’s body and deserves ten thousand deaths.”
Li Jinyu remained dumbfounded for a moment before mustering the strength to sit up, struggling against the effort.
There was still a slight lingering pain at his back, but upon careful sensing, it seemed that some ointment had already been applied, making it bearable.
As his movements stretched and his brain gradually awakened from the haze, Li Jinyu began to recollect the events of the previous night.
Though he had been affected by the aphrodisiac, his mind had remained somewhat muddled, but he hadn’t completely lost consciousness.
Starting from when Huo Caiyu held him and they lay on the bed, all the way until he fell into an exhausted sleep, most of the events in between gradually came back to him.
The memories of the previous night flooded back, and Li Jinyu’s face turned red belatedly.
Although he wasn’t clear about the human concept of “bed companionship”, animal instincts still understood it!
He and Huo Caiyu… mated last night?!
Weren’t they both males?
Can males mate with other males?!
f that was the case… could he possibly become pregnant and give birth?!
No, that can’t be!
Li Jinyu instantly didn’t know how to face Huo Caiyu. He squirmed and tightly pulled the covers around his body.
Huo Caiyu knelt beneath the dragon bed, harboring a glimmer of hope, his peripheral vision catching a glimpse of the Emperor’s retreat into the covers. As he saw His Majesty seemingly shrinking away from him in fear, that tiny glimmer of hope faded in an instant.
How could he hold onto the fantasy that His Majesty would accept him after a single mistake?
“Regarding the plot of Noble Concubine Xian and Noble Concubine Liang to harm Your Majesty, this official has thoroughly investigated,” Huo Caiyu lowered his head, his voice steady, making an effort to appear completely composed, “Noble Concubine Liang has confessed that Noble Concubine Xian instigated her to administer drugs to Your Majesty, intending to conceive a dragon seed and gain favor as the mother of a dragon child.”
Noble Concubine Xian herself was confined by the Emperor and would never have had the opportunity to approach him, so she could only implicate other concubines.
It could only be said that Noble Concubine Liang’s own resolve was weak, which allowed herself to be influenced by Noble Concubine Xian.
“This official has already devised the punishment, sentencing both of them to death. We only await Your Majesty’s judgment.”
Li Jinyu understood clearly. He had no objections to Huo Caiyu’s investigative and decision-making abilities, but when it came to the punishment… he hesitated, “Isn’t it too severe?”
Apart from their intimate encounter with Huo Caiyu and feeling a bit uncomfortable, he didn’t feel any significant loss…
“The drug given to Your Majesty, has caused considerable harm to the dragon’s body,” Huo Caiyu pressed his lips together, a hint of anger flashing in his eyes, and his voice involuntarily grew colder, “Harming Your Majesty’s sacred body is an unforgivable crime.”
It startled Li Jinyu to see Huo Caiyu so angry for the first time, and he gave in, “Let’s proceed as Huo Aiqing suggests.”
After finishing his words, Huo Caiyu felt some regret—his tone had been too harsh. He lifted his head and looked at the Emperor, who was hiding in the covers. His gaze lingered on the Emperor’s evasive face with a hint of longing before he lowered his head again. “This official acknowledges that he is equally unforgivable. However, as there are still matters in the court where this official is needed, he humbly requests that Your Majesty grant him some time. Once everything is resolved, this official will take his own life without hesitation as a gesture of remorse.”
Li Jinyu, who had been listening calmly until that moment, was taken aback, and immediately raised his head and blurted out, “No dying allowed!”
Huo Caiyu suddenly looked up and stared at him intently.
Faced with such a gaze, Li Jinyu became somewhat flustered and spoke without thinking, “Zhen hasn’t abdicated yet, so how can the Regent Prince die?”
Huo Caiyu’s gaze dimmed slightly, and he fell silent for a moment. Then, he let out a sigh and nodded, “This official understands.”
He stood up suddenly and then kowtowed. “This official will always protect Your Majesty and will not perish until death.”
………
As they emerged from the Emperor’s sleeping chamber, the eastern sky had already turned pale with the break of dawn.
Huo Caiyu, wearing the Regent Prince’s official robe, stood on the marble-paved palace floor, gazing up at the ink-blue sky, while a bittersweet feeling churned within his heart.
Last night, he had shared the most intimate bond with His Majesty, but now he felt as if the most immense distance in the world separated them.
He let out a bitter laugh, comforting himself.
At least, up until now, he still held some value in His Majesty’s heart, didn’t he?
Despite the Emperor’s rejection and aversion towards him, there was still a lingering bond of camaraderie that saved his life.
Last night, he had already come to terms with the fact that even if the Emperor woke up and ordered his execution on the spot, it would be normal. Throughout history, which Emperor would submit to someone like him? Bold and audacious individuals like him were rarely seen!
Since the Emperor was still willing to employ him, he naturally had to devote himself wholeheartedly to serving the Emperor.
He had once harbored dreams of pursuing His Majesty, once the Prime Minister’s influence waned. The Emperor had shown a hint of interest towards him before, and perhaps, just perhaps, there might be a slight possibility.
However, his approach was meant to be gradual, testing the waters of the Emperor’s feelings, catering to the Emperor’s preferences bit by bit, and progressing slowly…
Regardless of how many times he had dreamed of being close to the His Majesty, Huo Caiyu deep down hoped that their intimacy would occur when both of their affections were mutual.
Everything had now been easily destroyed by two concubines driven by their selfish motives.
His left hand, concealed in his sleeve, tightened slightly—still holding the birthday gift he had carefully crafted with several days of effort.
Yesterday, he had mustered up the courage to present it, but the subsequent events shattered the harmonious relationship between him and the Emperor, leaving no opportunity to give the gift.
Huo Caiyu lowered his gaze and let out a gentle sigh.
The morning court was approaching, and he needed to attend.
“Clang, clang, clang.”
Suddenly, three piercing drumbeats echoed from outside Taihe Hall.
Huo Caiyu abruptly lifted his head, his expression slightly changing. Three sets of ornamental drums—the signal for an urgent military report!
“Report—urgent report from the southwest. The Southwestern Region has experienced a renewed rebellion, and the Southwest Marquis urgently requests reinforcements!”
Apart from the Emperor, everyone gathered in Taihe Hall.
Before Huo Caiyu could speak, three sets of ornamental drums sounded from outside once again.
“Report—urgent report from the border. The Kingdom of Jiao has assembled a formidable army of five hundred thousand, stationed near the Beiyue Pass. The border garrison urgently requests reinforcements!”
The expressions of everyone in the hall changed.
Southwest rebellion, border crisis… It was just recently that the empire had celebrated a bountiful autumn harvest, and now they were faced with such a dire situation!
General Meng was already nearing retirement, and there were no suitable commanders left in the court.
After reading the military report, Huo Caiyu slowly set it down, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly spoke, “This Prince will go to the border.”
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*loud wailing noises*
Thank You for the chapter (๑ơ ₃ ơ)♥