Chapter 150
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The system prompt gave Xue Yao confidence, making him happier as he became more playful. He boldly said, “How about extending it to one and a half months, Seventh Lord?”
With the love progress exceeding ninety percent, should Lu Qian be exceptionally obedient?
Xue Yao found himself once again pressed against the wall by the mischievous cub, his actions ranging from his neck to lips.
This was a positive sign. With the mischievous cub temporarily forgetting negotiations, he could strive for more time to peacefully resolve the conflicts between the two brothers.
However, when Lu Qian sat up and switched sides while nibbling, Xue Yao felt a slight graze from some hard object on his lower abdomen.
Progressing too quickly indeed held dangers. The instinct for survival immediately halted Xue Yao’s movements. “You should go back, Seventh Lord.”
Lu Qian’s breath was heavier than before. It seemed he had exerted considerable restraint to cease the intimacy. He gazed deeply into Xue Yao’s face, his voice becoming hoarse. “Just one month.”
Xue Yao sensed that the current state of the scheming cub was precarious, so he obediently nodded. “Alright, one month.”
Lu Qian’s Adam’s apple rolled. Expressionless, he lowered his head and lifted Xue Yao horizontally.
“What are you doing?” Xue Yao felt he wasn’t ready for “further development” yet!
However, in the next moment, Lu Qian escorted him to the window and gently let him down to the ground.
Ashamed of his impure thoughts, Xue Yao bid farewell to Lu Qian with lowered eyes and a flushed face.
Early the next morning, Xue Yao couldn’t wait to visit Prince Rui’s residence.
The gatekeeper refused to let him in. The steward came out and informed Xue Yao that Prince Rui was not at home. After Xue Yao paid his respects, he inquired about the Prince’s return, explaining that he had urgent matters to discuss and asked if he could wait in the courtyard.
While it was possible that Prince Rui was genuinely not at home, the steward’s refusal implied a reluctance to allow a meeting. Xue Yao, pretending not to understand, insisted on seeing Prince Rui. The steward politely suggested he come back another day.
As anticipated by Lu Qian, Lu Jinan refused to meet Xue Yao.
The reasons might be complex. Firstly, the situation caught Lu Jinan off guard, making him uncomfortable, so he preferred not to face Xue Yao and discuss the matter.
The second reason might be the fear of Xue Yao persistently bringing up the issue. Lu Jinan valued Xue Yao personally and didn’t want to lose him as a friend. Settling the dispute with his brother was one thing, but falling out with Xue Yao would be harder to reconcile.
Realizing that stubbornly staying at his doorstep wouldn’t work, Xue Yao played a little trick. He pretended to bid farewell but secretly crouched in a corner to eavesdrop.
True to form, he managed to eavesdrop on Lu Jinan by noon.
Every day, regardless of wind or thunder, Lu Jinan faithfully returned to the royal residence to dine with his wife. This day, Xue Yao suddenly appeared, catching him off guard.
Lu Jinan still avoided a face-to-face conversation, stating with a cold expression that he needed to dine with the Princess Consort.
Xue Yao said that it was quite fortunate as he hadn’t had lunch either.
With a shameless persistence that impressed Lu Jinan, Xue Yao managed to follow him inside.
After their meal, in the study, Lu Jinan asked Xue Yao if there was something he wanted to say. Xue Yao, however, insisted that Lu Jinan speak first.
Lu Jinan, without mincing words, expressed his displeasure. He hadn’t expected Xue Yao to engage in mischief with his youngest brother, stating that someone of Xue Yao’s age should be more responsible and consider the consequences.
Respectfully listening to the lecture, Xue Yao explained that he wasn’t seeking recognition. Lu Qian insisted on a formal marriage because he feared his elders might arrange a marriage he couldn’t accept.
Lu Jinan questioned Xue Yao, “What kind of marriage would he accept? Marrying a man as a legitimate spouse?”
Lowering his head, Xue Yao replied, “I understand that same-sex marriage goes against tradition, and I cannot bear children for His Highness. But His Highness is not an ordinary person. He is emotionally reserved. If you insist on him marrying…”
Lu Jinan interrupted, furrowing his brows, “This is not just about tradition and lineage! Don’t you understand, Xue Yao? My youngest brother matured later than other children. Why would he marry you? Simply because he enjoys playing around with you! He hasn’t experienced the differences with women. Give it a few more years. Perhaps until he’s in his early twenties, he’ll understand. How can a grown man like him want to marry another man?
“By then, he’ll surely seek out women. What will you do, Xue Yao? How will you handle it? You, a talented and virtuous man, will end up like my Mother Empress, confined to the palace, albeit not entirely like her – you won’t even have a child. A century later, it will be a marvel, a timeless joke!”
Xue Yao raised his head abruptly.
Unexpectedly, Lu Jinan’s objection to Lu Qian marrying him stemmed from a lack of understanding of Lu Qian’s feelings for him. Lu Jinan was concerned that Lu Qian might disappoint him.
Xue Yao’s voice choked, “Your Highness, are you worried about my future hardship and loneliness? Not concerned about facing public criticism?”
Lu Jinan, with frustration evident, gestured towards Xue Yao. “What criticism? Female emperors are not uncommon in history, and why not a male empress? The key is that Seventh Brother is just fooling around, showing no commitment or responsibility! The first time I asked him what he was thinking, he openly said he wanted to have fun with you. He said it himself! Do you know, Old Seventh is nothing more than a child who refuses to grow up? Do you want to spend your entire life fooling around with him and be trapped in the palace until death?”
“I taught him that phrase!” Xue Yao explained urgently. “I thought you wouldn’t agree to him marrying a man. I didn’t want the official recognition, but he insisted so much. Your Highness, Lu Qian’s feelings for me are genuine. It’s not just playing around or a friendship kind of emotion. His feelings for me are similar to your feelings for the Princess Consort.”
Lu Jinan gave a bitter smile. “How is that possible? I think you’ve spoiled him too much. Even if he likes you, you’re still a man. It’s your simplicity that’s the issue. Relationships between men and women need a different kind of desire. Don’t keep circling around Seventh Brother. You’ll end up going mad. If it doesn’t work, go to a brothel, get in touch with real girls. I’m really getting fed up with you two naive boys.”
“It’s not that we don’t understand romantic relationships!” Xue Yao was about to be driven mad by this straight man of steel. “It’s that you don’t understand the feelings between us. The desire you mentioned, Lu Qian and I also have that.”
Lu Jinan glanced at Xue Yao sideways, his gaze seemingly assessing a fool.
There was an insurmountable gap between a straight man and a homosexual, especially in this era lacking education in this regard. Lu Jinan simply couldn’t fathom such feelings.
In his eyes, Xue Yao was just a delicate scholar, evoking a sense of protectiveness but certainly not possessing the allure that women typically have for men.
In reality, Lu Jinan completely misunderstood the prevalent trend of male-male relationships in the common people. To him, it was a distorted trend, a hypocritical phenomenon where men associated with men to prove their purity, demonstrating a disdain for women.
In an era lacking awareness about same-sex relationships, Lu Jinan could only rely on his own perspective to understand these feelings.
How would a straight man react to experiencing the body of someone of the same sex?
The desire to resort to violence.
Hence, Lu Jinan concluded that Old Seventh would ruin Xue Yao, similar to how Father Emperor ruined Mother Empress. Lu Jinan, not wanting to witness Mother Empress’ tragedy, even refused to accept concubines.
While Mother Empress and empresses throughout history were not much different, Xue Yao’s fate would be far more tragic.
Firstly, Seventh Brother didn’t harbor romantic feelings for him, and eventually, he would discard Xue Yao like worn-out shoes. Secondly, Xue Yao couldn’t bear children, making life in the cold palace even more desolate. Being the first male empress in history, he would undoubtedly become a subject of mockery by future generations. Seventh Brother would also be branded with the charge of indulgence and capriciousness.
Through this exchange, Xue Yao grasped Lu Jinan’s true thoughts and understood the methods he intended to employ, which surprisingly mirrored his own—
Sometimes, dragging things out could smooth out the situation.
Xue Yao felt that delaying things a bit might make Lu Jinan more accepting than he was initially. A direct confrontation at this point would surely damage their relationship.
Lu Jinan believed that dragging things out would make these two naive boys understand what true romantic relationships between men and women meant, preventing further mischief.
He didn’t want to harm the relationship between Seventh Brother and Xue Yao, so he chose to avoid them. He prohibited Lu Qian from meeting Xue Yao and urgently selected over a dozen beautiful palace maidens to attend to Lu Qian. Consort Xi was instructed to forcefully feed him soup, guiding Old Seventh to actively seek “male pleasures.”
Unexpectedly, a few days ago during an audience in Yangxin Hall, Lu Qian created a scene in front of the ministers, leading to punishment by the Emperor.
Old Seventh received a genuine punishment of twenty strokes. It deeply distressed Lu Jinan, who, early the next morning, sneaked into the palace to climb onto the roof, secretly watching Seventh Brother lying in bed groaning. Upon returning, he was entangled by Xue Yao, causing him more headaches.
Xue Yao was even more distressed, not knowing how to make this straight man believe that true feelings could arise between men.
“Your Highness, I’m already in my twenties. Can’t I distinguish my own feelings?”
“You were never an ordinary person,” Lu Jinan said, “You lack desires for fame, wealth, and ambition. To lack a desire for pleasure isn’t surprising.”
Xue Yao felt unfairly treated. Just because he lacked grand aspirations, was it reasonable to suspect him of being sexually indifferent?
“How can I make you believe that there’s spousal love between Seventh Brother and me?”
“Wait.” Lu Jinan looked at Xue Yao seriously. “Don’t meet until the end of the year. Get in touch with more girls. If, after a year, you’re still uninterested in them, you can consider marriage. After two years, if you both have a normal marital life, I’ll agree to your union.”
Xue Yao suddenly understood. No wonder Lu Qian mentioned that his eldest brother forbade them from meeting for three years.
It was a misunderstanding of Lu Jinan’s intentions. He didn’t allow Old Seventh to see Xue Yao and hinted that if their feelings remained unchanged after three years, he would agree to their marriage.
Lu Qian thought Lu Jinan instructed him not to see Xue Yao for three years.
Avoidance and cold wars couldn’t resolve the issue. Fortunately, Xue Yao boldly held onto Lu Jinan and clarified his intentions.
“Then you must promise not to arrange for His Highness to marry during this period,” Xue Yao requested.
“That’s not possible,” Lu Jinan said. “If, during this time, Old Seventh fancies any girl, he won’t abide by the agreement to marry you.”
“Naturally,” Xue Yao affirmed. “If Lu Qian changes his mind, I won’t see him again. I mean, if during the trial marriage period, our feelings remain unchanged, you can’t forcibly arrange a wife for Lu Qian.”
Lu Jinan laughed. “I certainly won’t force him to marry someone he doesn’t like.”
“That’s great!” Xue Yao hadn’t expected the matter to be resolved so smoothly.
Lu Qian’s feelings for him were genuine. The system wouldn’t deceive him. The trial marriage period wasn’t much different from actual marriage for them.
The only difficulty was not being able to meet before the New Year.
With almost four months left until the New Year, Xue Yao could endure, but could Lu Qian stand it?
Xue Yao immediately suggested to Lu Jinan that the Emperor arrange for him to gather provisions in Jiangnan.
This was a business trip, official duty. Lu Qian had waited obediently at home for Xue Yao to return from official duties before, so he should be able to accept it reluctantly.
Lu Jinan gladly accepted Xue Yao’s proposal. He even took care of the official matters, arranging for Xue Yao to have grain-collecting official ships and subordinates. He had it all planned out, intending to place Xue Yao in a “popular inn” surrounded by brothels in Jiangnan to let him experience the charm of girls.
Before leaving the capital, Xue Yao had to clarify things with Lu Qian. However, he didn’t possess Lu Qian’s extraordinary stealth skills and couldn’t slip into the palace for a secret meeting. He needed to find someone to pass along the message.
But who?
Lu Jinan forbade them from contacting each other, and the warm baby was still living in the palace. Xue Yao could only seek help from the recently married Old Fifth.
Old Fifth was currently in a state of confusion, not knowing how to get along with his wife and hearing that Seventh Brother was causing a stir about marrying Xue Yao.
No matter how good the relationship between men was, they couldn’t get married, right? This was damn awkward.
The world was indeed strange. Even the beeper had become silent and reserved. After receiving Xue Yao’s letter, he lowered his head in silence, unsure how to face Xue Yao, feeling things had become peculiar.
Xue Yao couldn’t provide psychological counseling for Old Fifth at the moment. He simply repeatedly urged him to deliver the letter as soon as possible.
The letter contained straightforward truths. Xue Yao relayed the eldest brother’s thoughts to Lu Qian in great detail and provided examples explaining why the eldest brother didn’t believe in their relationship.
In Lu Jinan’s eyes, both of them were still children, and everything he did was for their sake. Xue Yao became even more determined not to let Lu Qian harm their brotherly bond.
In reality, Lu Qian was still a child. Having lived two lifetimes, Xue Yao understood how precious Lu Jinan’s affection was for Lu Qian.
People often thought that being ruthless and decisive in youth could lead to great achievements, considering cherishing relationships as a woman’s weakness.
As one grew older, they realized that in their youth, they dared to openly love and hate without defense. Growing up didn’t mean being lazy to establish new relationships. It was the result of enduring too many wounds and losing the fearless openness of youth.
Some relationships, once missed, lasted a lifetime. Harming those who loved you and being hurt by those you loved gradually diminished the ability to love and the opportunity to be loved.
Thus, growing up became a path that became lonelier as you go, and looking back, you were left with the regret of “if I had a chance to start over.”
In the novel, that cold and ruthless tyrant, Lu Qian, could command respect from the subjects but couldn’t relive the warmth of being loved during childhood.
That Lu Qian was a cold, sharp blade for the nation and its people, while the Lu Qian that Xue Yao loved was a emotionally flawed child who needed hugs, kisses, someone to complain to, and lots and lots of security.
Xue Yao would fill the emotional void that Lu Qian lacked in his thought process.
On the night the letter was delivered, the missing piece of emotional cognition prompted Lu Qian to come storming in, seeking an explanation from his fiancee.
Lu Qian interpreted Xue Yao’s decision as a sign of trusting Eldest Brother rather than his fiance. Going to Jiangnan to gather provisions seemed like the precursor to abandoning his fiance.
Xue Yao didn’t know how to face the small, spirited bull standing before him.
Lu Qian had no idea about the mutual needs between them, nor did he understand that Xue Yao, like him, was unable to extricate himself from this relationship. He couldn’t comprehend others’ emotions and constantly felt that everyone could take Xue Yao away. This led him to brandish his sword as a warning to anyone attempting to snatch Xue Yao.
Unable to think of a better solution, Xue Yao grabbed Lu Qian’s front collar, pulled him inside, closed the door, and in the darkness devoid of light and moonshine, reached out to touch Lu Qian’s forbidden area.
In the darkness, Xue Yao looked up at the faintly gleaming pair of pale eyes. “Tonight, I’ll be Seventh Lord’s Empress.”
Lu Qian’s aggression from earlier instantly dissipated. Fortunately, the darkness concealed his inexperienced and flustered expression. Otherwise, he would have become the subject of Yaoyao’s laughter.
He feigned seriousness and resisted, “Your grandpa can’t treat Yaoyao like this. Marriage first, and then wedding night.”
Despite the words, Xue Yao already felt like he couldn’t control him.
Why is it so big?
Xue Yao suddenly hesitated and let go. “Then, forget it.”
“No!” Lu Qian instantly grabbed the hand Xue Yao was retracting.
“You just said we should get married first before the wedding night!”
“Your grandpa was just being polite.”
“How did Your Highness become so hypocritical?”
“It’s a necessary formality. Yaoyao can’t back out now.”
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