Chapter 144
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
Xue Yao took a few silent deep breaths, still feeling his face burning. He turned away in embarrassment and happened to see a long line of people in the distance, forming a queue for making wishes.
Thinking that his mother was in that line, Xue Yao quickly pulled his hand back from Lu Qian. “Did Your Highness come specifically to watch the fireworks today? They’ll be ending soon.”
Lu Qian turned his head, his gaze eyes deeply on the little reader-in-waiting, “Your grandpa came specifically to see you.”
“……” Xue Yao swallowed nervously, his heart pounding so fast it felt like he might faint. He turned away, muttering, “What’s there to see about me? You see me every day, aren’t you tired of it?”
“Haven’t seen you in three days,” Lu Qian said, looking displeased.
The little reader-in-waiting had insisted for three days of rest. His Highness was well-behaved, patiently waiting at the little reader-in-waiting’s doorstep. He planned to see the little reader-in-waiting first thing in the morning when it got bright.
However, the little reader-in-waiting confidently went out in the evening. As soon as he saw His Highness, he slipped away faster than a rabbit.
Lu Qian turned on his toes, facing the little reader-in-waiting, seeking revenge word by word, “Because Yaoyao is bedridden, your grandpa hasn’t been able to see you for three days.”
Xue Yao, with his survival instincts kicking in, immediately turned and walked towards the street vendor selling candied hawthorns. “Does Your Highness want candied hawthorns?”
Lu Qian’s vengeful gaze followed the little reader-in-waiting and, eventually, obediently followed to pick candied hawthorns.
“Two for Your Highness, one for me.” Xue Yao selected three plump candied hawthorns and handed them to Lu Qian. He then pulled out a coin pouch from his sleeve, about to pay when Lu Qian swiftly snatched it away.
Xue Yao turned his head in confusion, eyeing the money snatcher.
Lu Qian reached out, handing the candied hawthorns back to Xue Yao.
Xue Yao took the candied hawthorns and observed as Lu Qian, lowering his head, took out coins from the pouch and gave them to the vendor. He turned to the little reader-in-waiting and declared, “From now on, your grandpa will settle the bills.”
Xue Yao immediately protested, “If Your Highness wants to pay, you should use your own coin pouch. How can you snatch someone else’s wallet to pay? That’s basically me paying!”
Lu Qian, unaccustomed to carrying silver outside the palace, usually relied on funds provided by the palace, managed by Xue Yao. This time, slipping out of the palace unexpectedly, he hadn’t brought any silver and had to grab the little reader-in-waiting’s pouch to save face.
Seeing Lu Qian silent, Xue Yao seized the opportunity to regain the upper hand. “I’ll hold onto the coin pouch. Your Highness, feel free to buy whatever you want. It’s on me!”
Lu Qian cast a sidelong glance at the little reader-in-waiting and calmly asked, “The budget given to Yaoyao to settle the bill hasn’t been spent yet, right? Whatever’s left, your grandpa could use it.”
Every time he left the palace, Lu Qian would have a eunuch allocate a sum of silver, placing it on the little reader-in-waiting. It was a small fortune, never spent entirely. Upon returning to the palace, he wouldn’t ask the little reader-in-waiting for the remaining budget. It was treated as a reward.
Relying on this hefty reward, the little reader-in-waiting had accumulated a small treasury that seemed impossible to deplete. Now that Lu Qian was calculating, a small fortune would be subtracted from Xue Yao’s money vault.
Xue Yao never took money seriously. When he received a reward, he didn’t think much of it. Every time there was a disaster, he would donate it without hesitation. Because he could exchange Whitewashing Points for food, he would never worry about going hungry. But now that he was about to lose everything, he began to wonder if his savings would be enough to repay his debts
Xue Yao acted swiftly, putting his own coin pouch into His Highness’ sleeve pocket and buttoning it discreetly. He looked up solemnly and changed his tune, “Who remembers all those old accounts? Your Highness, just use my coin pouch! What’s mine is yours, please don’t be shy.”
Lu Qian smiled, the firelight highlighting his translucent eyes as he deliberately brought up old accounts, “Remember, last time two hundred taels were allocated, and there was a remainder of a hundred eighty-one taels and six mace. The time before that, one hundred fifty taels wete allocated, and the remainder was a hundred…”
“Aiya! These candied hawthorns will go bad if not eaten!” Xue Yao hastily grabbed one candied hawthorn, trying to stop the tape recorder from speaking.
Lu Qian lowered his eyes to the candied hawthorn offered to his mouth, then glanced up at the flustered little reader-in-waiting. Pausing, he opened his mouth and bit down on a candied hawthorn after finishing. “Let’s recount. Last time, two hundred taels…”
Xue Yao quickly fed him another candied hawthorn!
As Lu Qian took the second bite of the candied hawthorn, a mischievous smile played on his lips. He glanced sideways at the little reader-in-waiting, took a candied hawthorn from his hand, and fed it to him. “Yaoyao, have some too.”
Worried that Lu Qian’s mouth would become idle and bring up old accounts, the little reader-in-waiting spent the journey feeding each other with His Highness, sharing affectionate moments.
After finishing the candied hawthorns, Xue Yao’s hands were free, but Lu Qian skillfully seized the opportunity, and the two walked hand in hand down the arched bridge.
Xue Yao felt like he could disappear into the ground with the intensity of the surrounding gazes, mostly directed at Lu Qian and his handsome face, blessed with Consort Xi’s advantageous genes.
Due to guilt, Xue Yao felt like everyone was staring at their hands held together beneath the wide sleeves. He even had the illusion of people whispering and pointing.
“I need to go find my mother,” Xue Yao glanced at Lu Qian, pleading with a pitiful look in his eyes.
“Your mother will take about another three-quarters of an hour after finishing in the queue.” Lu Qian had just calculated.
“How does Your Highness know even this? How long have you been trailing me?”
“Since you came to the night market.” Lu Qian suddenly turned serious, looking at him. “From the moment you left your house, from when you slept until the sun was high, from when the sun rose to the east of your house.”
Xue Yao’s heart trembled again, his breathing becoming rapid, his mind inexplicably going blank.
Subconsciously, he tried to pull his hand away from Lu Qian’s, but it wouldn’t budge. He looked up at Lu Qian. “What does Your Highness mean by this? Didn’t we agree it was all over? You nodded last time.”
“If Yaoyao says he doesn’t want it, and your granpa nods, it doesn’t mean your grandpa gives up.”
Xue Yao closed his eyes in agony. “Why does Your Highness suddenly decide to make things difficult for me? Just recently, you wanted to get rid of me and go to Jiangnan alone!”
“Your grandpa figured it out. It’s not worth it that way.”
“What do you mean by ‘not worth it’?”
“Father Emperor’s death was painful. Without Father Emperor, your grandpa wouldn’t be in pain,” Lu Qian boiced out his real thoughts, “Without Yaoyao, your grandpa wouldn’t be in pain, but your grandpa was wrong. Without Yaoyao, your grandpa would be in pain forever. If Yaoyao didn’t die, why should your grandpa be in pain? It’s not worth it. Your grandpa will be in pain when Yaoyao dies.”
Xue Yao exploded, “Can’t Your Highness talk properly? My ancestors live long lives, but your imperial family always personally goes to war and dies on the battlefield. It’s who has to worry about you!”
“Is Yaoyao afraid of your grandpa being gone too?”
Xue Yao hesitated. “If you don’t personally go to war, you won’t be gone. If you lose Consort Xi, you won’t be able to live. If you’re gone, I’ll…”
“You just live well, along with your long-lived ancestors,” Lu Qian seriously stared at Xue Yao, promising as if guaranteeing, “Your grandpa can wait. When you come, your grandpa will be reborn.”
Suddenly, Xue Yao’s eyes welled up. He raised his head, tears blurring his vision. He spat in frustration at the future Emperor, “Bah! Nonsense! Can’t Your Highness speak properly? What nonsense are you talking about!”
“Is Yaoyao upset?” Lu Qian lifted his hand, gently wiping away the tears from the little reader-in-waiting’s eyes with his thumb. “You hide, lie, run away. It makes your grandpa even more upset.”
Xue Yao’s heart trembled, suddenly feeling like he could empathize with Lu Qian’s pain.
“Your Highness is saying this on purpose, right?” Xue Yao realized this guy was now utterly mischievous! It seemed like he could come up with all sorts of ways to make him relent. “Are you deliberately lying to me, making me unable to part with Your Highness?”
In Lu Qian’s clear eyes, little sparks of warmth ignited. “If Yaoyao doesn’t like Your Highness, would you fall for it?”
Xue Yao clenched his fists.
This was bad.
This was bad.
Step by step, this little rascal was rendering him helpless.
Where did someone with emotional barriers get such affectionate looks?
It must be the love brain filter that made Xue Yao, who was in love for the first time, lose his mind. He needed to stay steady…
“Even if I like Your Highness,” Xue Yao couldn’t pretend any longer, quietly confessing his feelings, “it’s impossible to marry Your Highness. The whole world would never agree.”
“Your grandpa is marrying you, not the whole world. Who cares if they agree?”
“But you’re someone who’s going to ascend the throne. You must gain the world’s approval, understand?”
“To hell with the throne.”
“You can’t use coarse language. Did Your Highness read some random books again? Your eldest brother has placed all his hopes on you. Now, only you can ascend the throne legitimately and gain public support.”
“Would marrying a reader-in-waiting prevent your grandpa from gaining public support?” Lu Qian revealed a protective gaze. “Are they all secretly harboring feelings for you?”
“No one is harboring feelings for me. In history, there’s never been an emperor who crowned a male empress!”
“Your grandpa will become the greatest emperor of both ancient and modern times.” Lu Qian never hesitated to praise himself.
“Positive terms shouldn’t be used here!”
“Since it has never happened, how do you know it’s not possible?”
Xue Yao took a deep breath, unable to respond.
“You won’t know if it’ll work until you try.” Lu Qian led the little reader-in-waiting step by step into the depths of the trap.
“How do we try?”
“Agree to your grandpa’s pursuit. If it doesn’t work, just drop it.”
“If it affects your ascension, if the people and court officials complain, if Consort Xi and your big brothers oppose it, it’s considered not working.”
Lu Qian nodded. “Then from now on, your grandpa is your husband.”
Xue Yao quickly bargained, “Fiance!”
Lu Qian smiled and opened his arms. “Come, give your fiance a hug.”
If you enjoy this novel, support the Translator ginevre on her ko-fi account :))
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
