Chapter 79 Chip Chip☆
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Li Jinyu had a restful night’s sleep, nestling in the comfortable bed of wood shavings after depleting his spiritual energy.
The following day, Huo Caiyu woke up to the sight of the little hamster buried in the wood shavings. With a slight smile on his lips, he lowered his voice and made his way to the court.
By the time Li Jinyu woke up, it was already lunchtime.
He emerged from the pile of wood shavings, transformed into human form, and donned the dragon robe. Walking to the outer hall, he coincidentally saw Huo Caiyu entering.
Huo Caiyu still held the reports gathered from the early court session and asked, “Has Your Majesty awakened?”
Li Jinyu immediately felt a bit embarrassed and replied, “Zhen has overslept. Sorry.”
“Your Majesty has been working hard. Skipping the early court session occasionally is not a big deal,” Huo Caiyu placed the reports on the desk, “Let’s have lunch first.”
After lunch, Li Jinyu used an ice bowl while reviewing the reports together with Huo Caiyu. Suddenly, Chief Kang called out from outside the door, “Your Majesty, the Duke of Hanguo requests an audience.”
Li Jinyu was momentarily taken aback. He lifted his head and exchanged a glance with Huo Caiyu.
The Duke of Hanguo, who was the Empress Dowager’s biological father, had also participated in the coup orchestrated by the Empress Dowager.
In order to protect the royal reputation and prevent undue speculation about Li Jinyu, Huo Caiyu quashed all rumors regarding the coup, focusing instead on reining in the influence of the implicated families.
The Han family was deeply entangled and bore the brunt of the damage.
Since then, the Han family fell into complete silence, and the Duke of Hanguo, plagued by illness, remained secluded at home for rest and recuperation.
Ultimately, as long as the Han family knew their place and acknowledged the Empress Dowager as Li Jinyu’s birth mother, he had no intention of causing them further trouble.
Why did the Duke of Hanguo suddenly pay a visit?
Li Jinyu pondered for a moment, adjusting his ears and tail, and said, “Let him in.”
With unsteady steps, the elderly Duke of Hanguo entered and prepared to kneel in reverence, saying, “Ths official pays respects to Your Majesty.”
“Duke, you are advanced in years. There is no need for excessive formalities,” Li Jinyu couldn’t bear to witness the elderly Duke of Hanguo’s attempt to kneel, promptly stopping him and urging him to take a seat for their conversation.
After expressing gratitude, the Duke of Hanguo’s gaze first swept across Huo Caiyu, then settled on Li Jinyu. He said, “This official has some matters to report privately to Your Majesty.”
Li Jinyu caught the underlying implication in the Duke of Hanguo’s words and furrowed his brow slightly. “Duke, feel free to speak your mind.”
He had no reason to conceal anything from Huo Caiyu.
The Duke of Hanguo fell silent for a moment and then raised his head. “If this official may be so bold, has the poison in Your Majesty’s body been cured?”
Li Jinyu looked at him with a hint of confusion. “It has been cured.”
In the past, he and Huo Caiyu had ventured into the royal palace of Jiao Kingdom, where they discovered Geyang’er trapped in the palace cellar, frozen in ice.
After bringing Geyang’er back to the capital city, Madam Huo swiftly conducted research and developed a complete antidote, which Li Jinyu ingested.
Although Li Jinyu himself didn’t attach much importance to the antidote, Huo Caiyu held a different perspective.
After all, it was poison, and who knew what potential impact it could have on His Majesty? It was better to remove it sooner rather than later.
However, how did the Duke of Hanguo come to know about this matter?
Li Jinyu couldn’t comprehend and simply asked, “Indeed, it has been cured. Why is the Duke inquiring about this?”
Upon receiving the definitive news, the Duke of Hanguo let out a sigh of relief, forcing a bitter smile. “That is good… With this, this official can finally let go of his worries.”
He discreetly cast a glance at Huo Caiyu, a faint hint of doubt flickering in his aged eyes.
The Duke of Hanguo had initially believed that Huo Caiyu wouldn’t provide, or at least not so quickly, the antidote for His Majesty’s affliction.
The relationship between the Regent Prince and His Majesty had suddenly become the talk of the court and nobility this year.
The Han family, like an indomitable creature, maintained sources of information within the palace. Upon confirming His Majesty’s connection with the Regent Prince, darkness seemed to descend upon them.
When His Majesty was poisoned, there was no need to question who held favor with whom.
No wonder the Regent Prince retained immense power, consistently bowing to His Majesty! No wonder their attempts to test the Regent Prince’s stance always fell short!
Huo Caiyu’s meteoric rise, seizing a prominent position in the empire’s officialdom within a mere year, attracted the gaze of numerous individuals.
Numerous individuals secretly desired to establish friendly relations with Huo Caiyu.
The Regent Prince, young and accomplished, remained single. Many royal and noble ministers clandestinely approached him, seeking to send their own female relatives or maidservants, but Huo Caiyu firmly declined all offers.
There were even those who harbored ill intentions, speculating whether the esteemed Regent Prince was unable to engage in physical intimacy.
Now the truth had become apparent.
The Regent Prince was not impotent. On the contrary, he possessed great courage and fearlessness!
It took a considerable time for the Duke of Hanguo and the Empress Dowager to reluctantly accept this news. The Empress Dowager even secretly fainted on multiple occasions.
In the Empress Dowager’s eyes, had it not been for her own past folly, her unfortunate son would never have needed to yield herself to the Regent Prince in exchange for protection.
However, with the Regent Prince and His Majesty now aligned in their intentions, they found themselves willing but unable to act, enduring their desires.
Upon learning of His Majesty’s apparent recovery from the poison, the Duke of Hanguo was taken aback and inwardly harbored some doubts.
In his perspective, the Regent Prince must be using this as a means to control His Majesty, and he would not easily provide a cure for the poison. Otherwise, if His Majesty were completely unrestricted, could the Regent Prince still forcefully keep His Majesty by his side as before?
However, he never expected that the Regent Prince would genuinely provide the antidote to His Majesty…
Could it be that the Regent Prince has grown weary of His Majesty? That would actually be a favorable outcome.
The Duke of Hanguo’s thoughts swiftly turned, and after a brief silence, he cautiously broached the topic, “Since Your Majesty has been cured of the poison, it may now be possible to arrange for intimate encounters within the harem.”
Upon hearing these words, Huo Caiyu’s expression immediately darkened.
Li Jinyu furrowed his brow and responded, “Regarding matters concerning the harem, Zhen will make the decisions himself.”
“This old official should not have spoken out of turn, but the matter of imperial succession pertains to the foundation of the nation, and Your Majesty should carefully consider it.” The Duke of Hanguo tactfully retreated, offering a subtle hint before changing the subject.
Once the Duke of Hanguo bid farewell and departed, Huo Caiyu’s expression gradually improved.
Li Jinyu leaned closer and lightly poked his arm. “Are you angry?”
Huo Caiyu glanced at him, feeling somewhat resigned. “How could this official be angry with Your Majesty.”
He longed to shower his beloved with affection every day.
However, it was natural for anyone to feel unhappy upon hearing suggestions that their beloved should have relationships with others.
However, the matter of an heir was indeed a problem. If Chi Zhongming were to marry and have children, they could consider discussing adoption. However, Chi Zhongming was too engrossed in playing with a black cat and didn’t consider such matters at all.
Huo Caiyu turned around and embraced His Majesty, gently rubbing his chin against Li Jinyu’s ear.
Li Jinyu hugged him back and sincerely said, “Zhen only wants you, not anyone else.”
He entered this world as a blank canvas, and it was Huo Caiyu who brought color to his life, guiding and filling him with purpose.
There was no one in this world who could come between him and Huo Caiyu.
Huo Caiyu was momentarily startled.
He had made numerous promises to His Majesty and had been earnestly striving to fulfill them. Now, he truly understood the profound happiness that comes with being promised by one’s beloved.
He held Li Jinyu tightly, and all the worries and unease that had been swirling in his mind suddenly dissipated. “This official has faith in Your Majesty.”
Besides the Regent Prince, many people, both openly and covertly, were inquiring about the matter of an heir.
Since Li Jinyu and Huo Caiyu’s relationship had become somewhat public, they received an increasing number of suggestions concerning this issue.
Previously, despite having three thousand concubines in the imperial harem, His Majesty had no offspring. The Imperial Institute of Medicine claimed everything was normal, and officials and nobles attributed it to mere ill fortune. However, ill fortune and a preference for Long Yang relationships were entirely separate matters.
If His Majesty and the Regent Prince merely had a passing affection, it would be acceptable. Throughout history, Emperors had shown favor to attractive young officials without neglecting their duties in the imperial harem. However, His Majesty had sent away all of his concubines to engage in agricultural pursuits!
Under such circumstances, when would they ever have the opportunity to welcome an imperial prince?
Li Jinyu reverted to his original form and rested on the cool jade tray. The entire hamster melted into a hamster-shaped pastry, and his gaze became vacant. “It’s so hot, but they continue to chatter incessantly.”
Huo Caiyu held a small fan and gently fanned him. “What are Your Majesty’s plans?”
The matter of an imperial heir was always significant.
“If Sister Huo gives birth to a child, I have considered adopting her child,” Li Jinyu twitched his ears and turned his head. “What do you think?”
He and Huo Caiyu wouldn’t have children of their own. They would have to adopt someone else’s child. Li Jinyu still felt responsible for Huo Caiyu losing the throne and wished to leave the throne to someone from the Huo family, at the very least.
Huo Caiyu naturally understood His Majesty’s intentions and couldn’t help but smile. “Your Majesty should discuss it with Sister.”
He couldn’t make decisions for his sister. Moreover, his sister didn’t seem eager to marry early.
“Isn’t it about time for Sister Huo to return?” Li Jinyu calculated the dates. “The army must have departed some time ago.”
“According to the communication, there are still approximately seven to eight days remaining.”
“When the time comes, Zhen will discuss it with Sister Huo.”
Li Jinyu suddenly stood up and transformed back into human form. “Regarding matters in the imperial harem, Zhen will go and consult with Consort Hui and Consort Wei.”
………
Ever since driving the concubines away to work on the fields, the interactions between Li Jinyu and the concubines have become simply ‘two groups of people living in the same place without interfering with each other.”
The concubines worked on the fields themselves and even organized their own conferences and mobilization meetings. Initially, they had to consult with Li Jinyu about what to do, but later Li Jinyu found it bothersome and delegated full authority to Consort Hui and Consort Wei to handle matters. The expenses were allocated from the internal treasury, and the accounts were kept for future reference.
It wasn’t bad to have such peaceful coexistence.
However, now the court officials and imperial relatives were urging Li Jinyu to resume arranging the concubines for intimate moments. So Li Jinyu called for the two Consorts.
Upon hearing Li Jinyu’s words, Consort Hui cautiously asked, “May this concubine inquires about Your Majesty’s regulations?”
“Zhen only wants the Regent Prince,” Li Jinyu spoke openly and earnestly, gazing intently at Consort Hui. “Consort Hui, do you have any methods to resolve these troubles?”
Consort Hui and Consort Wei exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other’s eyes.
They had been in the palace since His Majesty was a tyrant. Simply surviving in the treacherous imperial harem was already a luxury, and they had never aspired to the throne of an Empress.
Never before could they have imagined that one day His Majesty would be infatuated with a man, wholeheartedly devoted.
Consort Hui pondered for a while, gritted her teeth, and gathered her courage. “The harem should not interfere in politics, and we dare not speak presumptuously. However, if we talk solely about Your Majesty’s troubles… this concubine does have a solution.”
Li Jinyu’s eyes brightened. “What solution?”
Initially, he sought the two Consorts to have them intercept the court officials and imperial relatives’ remonstrations from the perspective of the harem. However, it seemed that Consort Hui had a better idea.
“The court officials merely believe that Your Majesty and the Regent Prince have a fleeting connection, not something substantial,” Consort Hui cautiously chose her words, gradually expressing her opinion. “If Your Majesty can prove this to the officials, they might not continue to petition.”
“Prove…” Li Jinyu fell into contemplation.
He wasn’t a human after all, and he simply felt content living together with Huo Caiyu in their current state. He had never really considered the need for proof.
Observing Li Jinyu’s expression, Consort Hui struggled internally for a moment before finally expressing her thoughts. “If Your Majesty is willing, perhaps starting with dispersing the harem might be a good step.”
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