Chapter 57.1 Chip Chip…
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Even though it was autumn, the imperial palace had already decorated itself with colorful chrysanthemum lanterns, and some evergreen trees remained beautifully green.
However, these efforts couldn’t hide the somberness of the autumn atmosphere.
Everyone in the palace had changed into warm autumn clothing. Empress Dowager and the Emperor even lit silver frost carbon heaters a little earlier.
Li Jinyu lay on a soft mattress filled with cotton, gripping a handful of melon seeds. He murmured softly while counting, “He was teasing me, he wasn’t teasing me, he was teasing me, he wasn’t teasing me…”
The black cat had grown larger since Li Jinyu found it. It was no longer kept in a cage and lay lazily on an ordinary cat climbing frame, yawning out of boredom.
It glanced at the hamster, which seemed even more bored than itself, and felt like rolling its eyes. “You’ve been like this for three days. Can’t you do something meaningful?”
“He wasn’t teasing me…”
Li Jinyu popped the last melon seed into his mouth, his cheeks now bulging.
Li Jinyu chewed and swallowed all the melon seeds in his mouth, feeling a sense of relief. He patted the shells off his hands and said with a hint of annoyance, “I feel like what I’m doing right now is very meaningful.”
“What did Huo Caiyu say to make you so troubled?”
“He said…” Li Jinyu had initially wanted to confide in this fellow villager, but he held back the words before they could escape his lips.
For some unknown reason, he wasn’t keen on letting others know about Huo Caiyu’s confession to him.
It felt like a secret shared only between him and Huo Caiyu, and even with a “fellow villager,” it didn’t seem appropriate to discuss it.
“It’s nothing, just some casual conversation.”
The black cat finally couldn’t help but roll its eyes.
It climbed from the highest level of the cat climbing frame to the second level, resting its head on its front paws and let out a condescending laugh.
The hamster’s thoughts were clearly written on its face! It must be some silly love trouble with Huo Caiyu!
I don’t know what’s so great about humans. If it were me, if anyone dared to bother me like this, I would scratch them with a single paw!
Li Jinyu grabbed another handful of melon seeds, intending to crack them while counting.
At that moment, Chief Kang knocked on the door from outside and softly called, “Your Majesty, this slave has returned.”
Li Jinyu’s face immediately lit up, and he tossed the melon seeds back into the fruit tray. “Come in.”
Chief Kang entered, wearing a slightly unusual expression. He held two small booklets in his hands, respectfully placing them on the desk before taking his leave.
Li Jinyu gave him a serious instruction, “Don’t mention this to anyone.”
Chief Kang was taken aback by this weird command, and now being asked by His Majesty to keep it a secret felt even more delicate. However, the most crucial aspect of serving by the Emperor’s side was to follow orders. Chief Kang had been able to navigate smoothly for so long because he understood this well.
“This slave will follow the decree.”
After Chief Kang left, Li Jinyu hopped off the imperial couch and sat at the desk. He reached out to open one of the booklets but paused with his hand suspended in the air, his face displaying a slight hesitation.
The black cat, unfamiliar with Li Jinyu’s current demeanor, jumped down with curiosity. “What’s that?”
Li Jinyu cleared his throat, hesitated briefly, and whispered, “I asked Chief Kang to find some ‘educational materials’ for me.”
“Educational materials?” The black cat hopped onto the desk, causing Li Jinyu to take a small step back in surprise.
The black cat glanced down and saw the neatly titled book. The Art of Love.
Black Cat: “…Why are you looking at that?”
Li Jinyu felt a hint of embarrassment, as if caught doing something wrong. He scratched his ear and said, “I just realized that I may have misunderstood some things before and needed to fill in my knowledge gaps.”
Things like “attending on the bed,” he always felt his understanding differed completely from others…
Fueled by a thirst for knowledge, Li Jinyu, undeterred by the black cat’s mocking gaze, mustered the courage to open “The Art of Love” and delved into its contents.
After a while, he raised his head again, his cheeks slightly flushed. “So, that’s how it is.”
So, “attending on the bed” referred to the process of human emperors and concubines mating and procreating!
Just like that night when he and Huo Caiyu became “intimate”!
…But why was it different when it came to Emperor Jingchang?
Previously, each time a concubine visited, they didn’t show any obvious surprise when they sang. It seemed that Emperor Jingchang’s “intimate activities” meant singing to them.
Emperor Jingchang wouldn’t make the same basic mistake as him, right?
Before Li Jinyu could grasp the situation, the curious black cat pawed at the book below. “What’s this now?”
Li Jinyu glanced down and his face suddenly took on a subtle expression. His cheeks turned slightly redder. “It’s also… educational material.”
He moved aside “The Art of Love,” revealing the title of the book below—”The Secret Techniques of Long Yang.”
Black Cat: “…………”
Despite the black cat’s incomprehensible gaze, Li Jinyu blushed and forcefully explained, “I just want to have a more comprehensive understanding!”
He didn’t even know why he was so captivated by the desire to understand this.
Perhaps Huo Caiyu’s confession before leaving the capital had left him in a dazed state.
That’s why he specifically instructed Chief Kang not to reveal anything. What if others misunderstood and thought the Emperor had taken a Long Yang!
Li Jinyu gathered his courage and opened the book “The Secret Techniques of Long Yang.”
After a while, he raised his head, and his face had turned as red as a ripe tomato.
So, so this is what men do with each other…
The book provided detailed explanations, accompanied by clever illustrations, causing Li Jinyu to blush inexplicably.
On that night with Huo Caiyu, he wasn’t entirely clear-headed. Now, with the theoretical knowledge from the “educational material” and his limited “practical experience,” he finally grasped the full understanding.
With these thoughts, memories of that night with Huo Caiyu resurfaced in Li Jinyu’s mind.
Although his memories weren’t entirely intact, he still retained a general impression.
Um…
The memories in his mind stirred the sensations in his body, and Li Jinyu felt a slight warmth emerging. He promptly shook his head, grabbed the nearby chilled tea, and took a sip.
When he turned his head, a lively black cat’s head stretched over from the side, equally engrossed in “The Secret Techniques of Long Yang.”
Li Jinyu jumped in surprise but quickly regained his composure. “What are you looking at?”
The black cat swiftly retracted its neck, haughtily raised its head, and spoke with a tone of disdain, “I’m just casually looking around because I’m bored.”
“Why would a cat like you be interested in this?” Li Jinyu suddenly remembered something and cautiously asked, “Are you a male?”
The black cat stared at him, slightly revealing its sharp teeth. “Do you want to die?”
Li Jinyu realized he had asked a pointless question and let out an awkward chuckle. “Forget it, I haven’t seen you in human form, so I was curious…”
As he mentioned it, Li Jinyu suddenly had a realization. “Oh! You’re reading this because of Brother Chi.”
Li Jinyu’s voice came to an abrupt halt.
The small black cat exposed its front claws, clenched its teeth, and said with deliberate emphasis, “I’m just curious. It has nothing to do with any humans.”
Actually, Li Jinyu could easily defeat the black cat in its current state. However, noticing the black cat’s desire to save face, he simply nodded in agreement and said, “I understand. You’re just curious about the harm that selfish humans can inflict on each other, and it has nothing to do with anyone from the Chi family.”
Black Cat: “…”
This foolish hamster was becoming less adorable with each passing moment.
With both “educational materials” fully read, Li Jinyu brought them to the charcoal brazier, preparing to destroy them directly.
The flames engulfed the “The Art of Love,” casting a vibrant red glow. Holding the “The Secret Techniques of Long Yang” in his hands, Li Jinyu suddenly felt a hint of reluctance.
Perhaps… he should keep this one for now?
There were still some details he hadn’t fully understood… Huo Caiyu had emphasized the importance of reviewing the past to gain new knowledge…
With a peculiar thought in his mind, Li Jinyu sneakily hid the “educational material” under the pillow on the dragon bed, carefully arranging the pillows to ensure that no one could notice from the outside.
………
Even though Huo Caiyu had departed for the borders, he had entrusted Li Jinyu with the task of resolving some pending matters before his departure.
Disguised in inconspicuous attire, Li Jinyu reached the Huo residence and humbly requested Huo Caiyu’s mother for a medical consultation.
Huo Caiyu had always been skeptical of the palace physicians. Moreover, the fact that none of the medical personnel had detected the Emperor’s poisoning indicated either their collective incompetence or a deliberate cover-up.
Neither possibility inspired trust.
Huo Caiyu had already informed his mother about Li Jinyu being poisoned, so her lack of surprise upon his arrival was expected.
With Huo Caiyu and his sibling Huo Caijin both away in the military, the Huo residence felt empty and desolate. Hence, the arrival of Li Jinyu brought a sense of delight to Madam Huo.
However, Li Jinyu couldn’t shake off an inexplicable sense of unease.
He had inadvertently caused Huo Caiyu, to become emotionally entangled in a perplexing situation.
It was expected that in the future, if Huo Caiyu were to ascend as Emperor, he would need to have a complete harem with many wives and bear numerous children. This would bring joy to his mother, who would then have a whole bunch of grandchildren to dote on.
However, Huo Caiyu unexpectedly confessed his love to Li Jinyu.
This made Li Jinyu feel uncomfortable whenever he faced Madam Huo.
Thankfully, Madam Huo didn’t suspect anything. She kindly asked Li Jinyu to take a seat and attentively examined his pulse.
Withdrawing her hand, Madam Huo furrowed her brows slightly and remarked, “Compared to the last time, it seems your body has become weakened. Young Master Li mustn’t indulge in excessive intimate activities just because you are young.”
Li Jinyu couldn’t help but feel unjustly accused.
Now he fully understood the meaning of “intimate activities.”
However, throughout his past and present lives, he had only been intimate with Huo Caiyu once. It was all due to the consequences of Noble Concubine Xian’s drug.
Huo Caiyu had already prepared medication to cleanse Li Jinyu’s body of any remaining toxins. Now, only physical weakness remained, which required gradual medication and recuperation.
Worried about repeating the same misunderstanding with Madam Huo, Li Jinyu promptly clarified the circumstances surrounding his previous poisoning.
Of course, anything related to Huo Caiyu was intentionally hidden and left unmentioned.
Madam Huo listened with a hint of surprise and said, “I’ve never come across such a medicine before… I’ve heard rumors about similar drugs in the Jiao Kingdom that aid women in conceiving, but I’ve never actually seen them.”
Li Jinyu couldn’t help but think, wasn’t that the Jiao Kingdom’a doing? He had sent Princess Tama straight to the palace to work in the fields, completely disregarding her later. Little did he expect her to become involved with Noble Concubine Xian.
After a moment of contemplation, Huo Caiyu’s mother raised another question, “A’Yu mentioned that you were poisoned with an ‘sterility’ poison. How was the aphrodisiac resolved?”
Li Jinyu’s face turned suddenly red.
How should he respond to this question?
Should he tell Madam Huo that her own son helped him resolve it?
With determination, Li Jinyu said, “Well, I used some alternative methods… It shouldn’t have any negative effects.”
Madam Huo briefly displayed a trace of surprise on her face before regaining her composure and apologizing with a smile, saying, “I can’t help but delve deep into questions about medical skills and poisons. I’m sorry for putting you in an awkward position, Young Master Li.”
“No, no, it’s my fault.”
“Young Master Li’s body needs continued medication and care due to its weakened state,” Huo Caiyu’s mother instructed, and then she discussed the main issue, “The ‘sterility’ poison is costly and complicated to produce, and the recipe for its antidote has never been revealed. I intend to study it slowly.”
Li Jinyu nodded, feeling worried, and asked, “Does this poison have any other effects?”
“Apart from causing men to become impotent and women to be unable to conceive, other effects may include irritability, restlessness, and difficulty sleeping at night,” Huo Caiyu’s mother explained. “If you want to investigate when you were poisoned, you can start by looking into these symptoms.”
Li Jinyu reflected for a moment and realized that he didn’t experience many of these symptoms after he arrived in this world.
However, the original character, Emperor Jingchang, displayed irritability and restlessness to the fullest extent.
As for difficulty sleeping at night… the palace concubines took turns attending to him, and they all had to sing lullabies. It indicated the poor sleep quality of Emperor Jingchang.
So, was he already poisoned with the sterility poison before he arrived here?
Who administered it?
Did Emperor Jingchang know about it?
This series of questions left Li Jinyu in confusion.
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