Chapter 78 Chip☆
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Huo Caiyu returned to the capital with Li Jinyu towards the end of the fifth lunar month.
The weather started to get hot.
Upon Huo Caiyu’s return, Chi Zhongming quickly handed him a bundle of government affairs and happily went back to his mansion with a black cat in his arms.
Lately, he almost annoyed him to death.
Although the black cat assisted with political matters, he still had to personally interact with the officials.
These officials were all shrewd and subtly tried to ascertain his thoughts, wanting to know if the unexpected regency of the Prince Mao would turn him from a “Prince” into an “Emperor.”
Some individuals, seeking to take advantage, secretly tried to introduce beautiful women to him. After being rejected, they even tried to introduce handsome men to him.
Chi Zhongming simply wanted to drag those people down and chop them off.
Every time someone attempted to introduce a beautiful person to him, he would spend a long time just playing with his cat, Chonky, who would get jealous and refuse to transform into a human to be affectionate with him.
Now that Huo Caiyu had returned, he was finally free!
After taking charge, Huo Caiyu promptly divided the territories originally belonging to the Jiao Kingdom into counties and appointed the remaining Jiao King’s children. Subsequently, he arranged measures for trade between Beiyue Pass and the three counties of the Jiao Kingdom.
In order to achieve long-term stability, it was necessary to completely eradicate the hatred between the Jiao people and the Di people.
The Jiao people used to plunder the Di Dynasty because the Di Dynasty had abundant resources such as food, medicinal herbs, tea leaves, silk, porcelain, and more, which they did not possess. All these could be obtained through trade.
When there was a legitimate way to acquire what they wanted, even the most ruthless Jiao people would not choose to risk their lives in robbery.
Of course, in practice, there would be many difficulties to overcome.
Huo Caiyu dispatched the military forces and officials of the Di Dynasty to the three counties, assisting the Jiao princes and princesses in their governance.
Regardless, they had taken the most crucial step at least.
………
Huo Caiyu carefully reviewed the thick records and finally breathed a sigh of relief. “It seems that there are no traces of an epidemic occurring throughout the empire.”
“We don’t have any here, but there seem to be some signs in the Jiao Kingdom.” Li Jinyu leaned on the dragon bed, earnestly reading another report, with his furry ears twitching. “We need to remind the people over there to be cautious.”
“In order to bring about a severe drought in the Di Dynasty, the Jiao King started from his own borders. The drought resulted in the death of numerous cattle, sheep, and horses, which led to the outbreak of an epidemic.” Huo Caiyu put down the document in his hand and walked over. “In any case, it is not a plague caused by sorcery… This official has already ordered them to handle it carefully, and the supply of medicinal herbs should be available at all times.”
Huo Caiyu sat next to the dragon bed and looked at the soft, furry little ears on Li Jinyu’s head. He couldn’t resist reaching out and giving them a gentle squeeze.
Startled, Li Jinyu raised his head and his ears twitched. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing,” Huo Caiyu said with a smile. With his mouth curved in a smile, he let his fingers slide through the soft fur on Li Jinyu’s head, moving down to the back of his neck and continuing down to his back.
Despite the use of ice to cool the summer palace, there was still a hint of warmth in the air. Li Jinyu was dressed in a light and delicate black silk robe.
As his hand glided over the fabric, they could feel each other’s warmth even through the thin silk.
Li Jinyu felt his body growing warm for no apparent reason, and his face flushed slightly. He instinctively glanced at Huo Caiyu.
The intense affection in Huo Caiyu’s eyes made him instantly understand what Huo Caiyu meant.
Blushing, he scooted back on the dragon bed.
Huo Caiyu leaned closer and gently kissed Li Jinyu’s cheek. His warm breath tickled Li Jinyu’s ear as he whispered, “Your Majesty, is it alright?”
Although they had done it many times before, every time Li Jinyu would still feel nervous, causing his toes to curl up.
His voice trembled like a mosquito. “I-I need to take a bath first…”
Huo Caiyu reached out and encircled him, almost wanting to laugh. “Didn’t Your Majesty used to hate taking baths?”
“Just a little scared of water,” Li Jinyu blushed and explained softly, “but now it’s not as scary.”
“Then let’s go to the bathing pool,” Huo Caiyu pondered for a moment and temporarily released him. “The bathing pool is even cooler.”
On the way to the bathing pool, they would encounter several palace attendants, so Li Jinyu tucked away his ears and tail.
Upon arriving at the bathing pool, Li Jinyu dismissed the attending staff and slowly stepped into the pool, letting out a contented sigh.
Huo Caiyu approached. “Would Your Majesty like to be scrubbed on your back?”
Li Jinyu turned his head and, amidst the swirling mist, caught sight of Huo Caiyu’s robust physique, as well as the submerged… His recently calmed face instantly flushed again.
He was no longer the naive and innocent little hamster, and Huo Caiyu was no longer the polite and reserved Huo Caiyu from a year ago.
Their relationship had grown increasingly intimate, and Li Jinyu could increasingly sense Huo Caiyu’s strong aura of dominance.
It made Li Jinyu feel a bit lightheaded and nervous.
His ears couldn’t help but perk up.
Huo Caiyu’s breathing suddenly became rapid.
………
The sensations in bed and in the water were completely distinct from each other.
Li Jinyu felt as if there were flames burning within his body, while cool ripples gently caressed him.
The contrasting heat and coolness heightened his senses, allowing him to keenly feel the stimulation provided by Huo Caiyu.
Huo Caiyu’s broad palm had calluses from gripping a sword, and the stubble on his chin brushed against him, causing a slight tingling sensation.
He felt as though he was melting away entirely.
The misty water vapor around them made him slightly dizzy, and when Huo Caiyu leaned in to kiss him, his response was purely instinctive.
“Splash, splash.”
It was as if the bathing pool was dancing along with them, and the entire world seemed to be spinning.
He couldn’t resist revealing his ears and tail.
In the midst of haziness, Li Jinyu felt a hand gently grasp his ear.
His hamster ears were particularly sensitive, and the soft kneading of that hand instantly delivered a powerful sensation, nearly bringing him to tears.
His reaction seemed to heighten the excitement in the person with him, who passionately kissed him, whispering, “Your Majesty… Jinyu…”
“Mmm…”
………
When Huo Caiyu carried the exhausted Li Jinyu back to the palace, he still appeared radiant.
Li Jinyu lay on Huo Caiyu’s sturdy chest, his face’s rosy hue momentarily stunning Chief Kang.
As the eunuch in charge of attending to the Emperor, Chief Kang was well aware of the relationship between His Majesty and the Regent Prince.
Nevertheless, His Majesty’s current appearance seemed excessively captivating.
Chief Kang glanced briefly but quickly averted his gaze, promptly presenting new clothes.
Ever since His Majesty and the Regent Prince returned, the task of dressing His Majesty became the sole responsibility of the Regent Prince, and even Chief Kang could not interfere.
During the process of dressing, there was some inevitable skin friction, causing both of them to breathe more rapidly.
Huo Caiyu leaned against Li Jinyu’s side and whispered softly, “Would Your Majesty like more?”
Li Jinyu glanced weakly at him, faint traces of teary redness visible in the corners of his eyes.
This glance made Huo Caiyu even more parched, almost tempted to immediately pin His Majesty onto the dragon bed.
When they were playfully touching earlier, Li Jinyu had also become intrigued. Blushing, he nodded and whispered, “Gently…”
This bath was all for nothing.
However, after just over ten minutes, Li Jinyu suddenly opened his eyes wide and pushed against Huo Caiyu’s chest. “No, stop, stop quickly—”
Huo Caiyu sensed the fear in Li Jinyu’s tone and immediately halted his actions. “Your Majesty, what’s wrong?”
Li Jinyu moved away from Huo Caiyu’s body, rolling to the side. Before he could say anything, a burst of white light flashed, transforming him into a small furry ball the size of a palm.
Huo Caiyu: “…”
Li Jinyu: “…”
Huo Caiyu found himself momentarily unsure whether to feel relieved or amused, holding his forehead. “Has the time come?”
Li Jinyu nodded pitifully.
Despite absorbing the qi of the Jiao Kingdom, he still couldn’t maintain a human form indefinitely. Occasionally, he had to revert back to his hamster form to cultivate.
They were too excited tonight and almost forgot about this.
It led to them abruptly hitting the brakes halfway through…
Huo Caiyu took a deep breath, suppressing his impulses, and forced a wry smile. He reached out to lift Li Jinyu. “Does Your Majesty want a sand bath, then?”
Li Jinyu’s eyes lit up. “Yes!”
In human form, it didn’t matter, but as a hamster, he was immersed in the delightful sensation of soft, clean sand gliding over his fur.
Having just washed with water, being able to wash with sand now as well was absolutely wonderful!
Huo Caiyu could now even discern the various expressions on Li Jinyu’s hamster face. Li Jinyu’s excited appearance somewhat eased Huo Caiyu’s unsatisfied desires.
Huo Caiyu hastily donned his clothes, got out of bed, and placed Li Jinyu in a massive sandbox.
Ever since he revealed his final secret, Li Jinyu could finally use hamster-specific tools openly and without hesitation.
Under the name Dumpling, they had specially customized an entire set of hamster accessories, including this sandbox specifically designed for sand baths.
Huo Caiyu watched Li Jinyu’s joyful expression in the sandbox and smiled helplessly. “Your Majesty, go ahead and bathe while this official fetches orchid bath.”
He needed to bathe as well.
To avoid exposing His Majesty’s ears and tail to the palace staff, the eunuchs and palace maids now waited outside the sleeping quarters for instructions.
After calling for an orchid bath, Huo Caiyu changed his clothes. Seeing that His Majesty was still rolling around in the sandbox, he pushed open the palace doors to get some fresh air.
Stopping abruptly halfway through was truly uncomfortable.
As Huo Caiyu walked out of the palace doors, he immediately noticed a eunuch dressed in indigo court attire sitting at the entrance, engrossed in writing something.
A glance at the eunuch’s official garments, and a sense of unease surged within Huo Caiyu. “The Imperial Historian?”
In the Di Dynasty, the Imperial Historian was a dedicated eunuch responsible for meticulously recording the Emperor’s interactions with imperial concubines and maids, including detailed information like start and end times, and the number of times water was requested in between. These records served as evidence of the consorts’ pregnancies.
Even the Emperors who favored male companions had their encounters recorded.
However, in their case, it could be considered the Emperor being “favored”…
Huo Caiyu approached and briefly scanned the Imperial Historian’s records, only to be taken aback by the time-related entries.
“Half a quarter of an hour?” Huo Caiyu’s expression became subtly complicated. The Imperial Historian, who was not young, carried himself with dignity. “Replying to the Regent Prince, this inferior official assures Your Highness that the timekeeping records are error-free.”
The timing was not the issue. The problem was that they hadn’t finished.
Huo Caiyu’s face twitched as he observed the faint stubbornness on the Imperial Historian’s face, but ultimately, he couldn’t bring himself to say a word.
When he personally reorganized the harem, he deliberately assigned individuals like the Imperial Historian, who possessed straightforward and unwavering characteristics. As a chronicler of history, the purity of royal bloodlines should not be compromised, and the recorder should not be swayed by power or wealth.
In the past, when he hadn’t yet realized his feelings for His Majesty, he had specifically instructed the Imperial Historian to meticulously document every detail of the His Majesty’s encounters.
Now he was experiencing the consequences of his own actions.
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