Chapter 143
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In theory, it was understandable to feel thirsty and hungry after a whole day without eating.
However, at this moment, Han Jiao had already finished six bowls of soup, half a pot of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, a plate of lotus-wrapped pork, a plate of sweet and sour spare ribs. Currently, he was nibbling on his third lamb skewer.
Master Han and his family dining with him have already put down their chopsticks, staring in shock at their son, who just wouldn’t stop eating.
In fact, everyone at the table, including Han Jiao’s chubby little brother, couldn’t eat anymore, so they couldn’t keep up with Han Jiao’s pace of eating.
Mrs. Han kept kicking her son’s shin under the table, hoping he could maintain a bit of a modest official image in front of the new monarch.
Although the Han family had been somewhat poor in the past, facing the delicious dishes from the Imperial Kitchen was indeed hard to resist, but they shouldn’t act like starving ghosts reincarnated.
At the same time, Xie Duo, sitting between Han Jiao and Mrs. Han, silently stared at his own bowl and prayed inwardly for the little child prodigy to put down his chopsticks.
Han Jiao had been living in Prince Ling’s mansion before. Being this hungry, it seemed like he was mistreated, making his previous unconscious state seem like he fainted from hunger. Xie Duo couldn’t wash away the suspicion even if he jumped into the Yellow River.
“A’Jiao, don’t overeat. Mother will take you for a walk outside.”
However, Han Jiao remained unresponsive like a deaf person, eating with complete absorption.
Mrs. Han’s foot under the table started to increase the frequency and force of kicking her son.
The kick was a bit heavy. As Han Jiao hummed in pain, his teeth finally let go of the lamb skewer. He looked down at his leg and followed the foot that had schemed against him, finding the culprit at once!
“Mmm… mmm…” Han Jiao rubbed his knee, bewildered as he stared at Mrs. Han. He dared not erupt. He turned to the people around, his gaze wandering back and forth for several rounds. Finally, he looked at Xie Duo with a face full of grievance and quietly reported, “Mother hit me…”
Xie Duo, hearing this, lowered his head and looked under the table. Mrs. Han immediately withdrew her weapon. Xie Duo warned her, “Han Jiao didn’t eat yesterday. Hunger is unavoidable. Please, Madam, do not arbitrarily strike a court official.”
Master Han quickly stood up to apologize for his wife and called her and the child to temporarily leave. He wanted to make it easier for the Crown Prince to leave the table, leaving his son alone to save face.
After the Han family left, the Third Prince, Eighth Prince, and Tenth Prince also came to visit Master Xiaobai.
And Master Xiaobai was still eating.
Two quarters of an hour passed.
Han Jiao’s hand, reaching for the chopsticks, was held firmly by someone, rendering him immobile.
“That’s enough, Han Xiaobai.” Xie Duo pinched his wrist. “You can eat more tonight.”
Han Jiao struggled hard to free his wrist but couldn’t move a muscle. He immediately turned grumpy and pouted at the person who wouldn’t let him eat.
Master Xiaobai’s eyes were turning red!
Xie An was the first to jump up, stopping Ninth Brother’s wrongdoing. “Why won’t Ninth Brother let Maser eat? Master has only had a few bowls of soup and some dishes!”
Xie Jing also stepped in to mediate. “Master hasn’t eaten all day. Let him have a good meal!”
The Third Prince also spoke sternly, “Old Ninth, let go quickly. He’s only had a few dishes. Why the rush?”
Xie Duo had a cold and stern expression. “This is already the second table.”
The three Princes looked at Han Jiao with a puzzled expression.
Han Jiao pitifully licked his lips, looking weak and hungry.
“Impossible!” Xie Jing grabbed Xie Duo’s arm. “Stop fooling around. It’s important to let Master eat to his fill!”
Xie An stood up directly, went behind Ninth Brother, and pulled his arms back!
Xie Duo closed his eyes in resignation, pondered for a moment, and obediently let go, allowing the little child prodigy to continue eating.
Two quarters of an hour passed.
“Isn’t this going too far?” Xie Duo looked puzzled at his brothers. “He used to have a small appetite. With only a few bites, he’d claim to be full.”
“Maybe he was pretending before,” the Third Prince kindly reminded his inexperienced younger brother. “He wanted to appear as if he had a small appetite in front of you.”
Xie Duo frowned. “Why would he do that?”
The Third Prince nodded toward Han Xiaobai, who was still eating. “Maybe he was afraid of revealing his true appetite and scaring you.”
Xie Duo was taken aback. He turned to his “beloved glutton wife” for a moment and then whispered a threat, “Han Jiao, you’re not afraid of scaring me now? You haven’t even crossed the threshold.”
The ears of Old Eighth and Old Tenth perked up instantly!
“Cross the threshold?” Xie Jing narrowed his eyes as he scrutinized Ninth Brother. “I’ve had a feeling for a while that you’re up to something. You have so many teachers in the study, but you always love to tease Master Xiaobai. Every time you leave the palace, you deliberately keep us away and take the long way to send Master Xiaobai home. Are you plotting something heinous against Master Xiaobai?”
Xie Duo glanced at him askance. “I’ll take your words as a blessing. There’s no plot. I’ve already done it.”
Xie Jing and Xie An gasped in shock!
The Third Prince, seeing that his palace brothers were unaware of Ninth Brother and Han Jiao’s situation, felt slightly relieved. He turned to explain for the two of them, “Master Xiaobai volunteered for this. A while ago, Ninth Brother confessed everything to me.”
The shocked and jealous expressions on the faces of Old Eighth and Old Tenth gradually faded, replaced by angry and envious glares directed at Old Ninth.
The most skilled Master Xiaobai, in the end, was claimed by Old Ninth!
A wave of furious silence filled the room.
Xie An was the first to accept the fact and asked Xie Duo with a hint of confusion, “Ninth Brother, are you really going to marry Master Xiaobai? Even though he’s handsome and talented, he’s still a man, isn’t he?”
Third Prince: “In the capital, there are quite a few wealthy young men who keep male lovers. As long as they genuinely love each other, there’s nothing wrong with it.”
After a long dumbfounded pause, Xie Jing blurted out without a filter, “But how do two men… do the things that married couples do?”
Xie An quickly covered his mouth. “Master Xiaobai is right here!”
The three of them nervously looked at Han Jiao, but Han Jiao remained unfazed, continuing to nibble on spare ribs. It seemed he had no qualms about this matter.
Third Prince: “There are plenty of ways, and they can have palace servants teach them in the future.”
“No need for others to teach. I’m self-taught,” the self-assured Ninth Prince declared.
The Third Prince was taken aback. “You’ve already…”
“Yes,” Xie Duo said with pride.
The Third Prince nervously whispered, “Do you really know how? You didn’t hurt him, did you?”
Xie Duo, upon hearing this, glanced at the Third Prince, but ultimately couldn’t let go of his pride and forced out, “Hmm…”
However, once the brothers left the Eastern Palace, Xie Duo hurriedly told Han Jiao, “Wait for me,” and rushed out the door to catch up with the Third Prince. He led him to a deserted corner of the palace and humbly sought advice, “Big Brother, aren’t the palace aunts in charge of teaching matters related to marital relations for both men and women? Do they also know how to make Han Jiao more comfortable?”
The Third Prince squinted at his younger brother. “Didn’t you already know how to do it?”
Xie Duo thought for a moment and nodded earnestly. “But there’s room for improvement in the techniques.”
The Third Prince chuckled. “Is that so? How many times have you and Master Han Jiao…?”
“Why do you care?”
“In that case, I’ll go.”
“Wait.” Xie Duo grabbed his arm, gritted his teeth. “Once or twice.”
The completion of that one-tenth time with the new Great Chu monarch counted, too.
The Third Prince wore a kindly yet teasing smile. “Just once or twice? I heard you’ve been living under the same roof with Master Han for over a month now. Why such restraint?”
Xie Duo frowned and replied seriously, “Indulgence can harm one’s health, and excessive indulgence can be a distraction. Besides, I’ve been busy with state affairs recently, so the demand hasn’t been very high.”
The Third Prince chuckled, looking even more teasing. “I don’t believe you.”
“Then why are you even asking?” Xie Duo furrowed his brow and shrugged. “He’s afraid of pain! What else could it be? Who really knows about these matters?”
So, the kind-hearted Third Prince personally guided his younger brother on the path of knowledge.
Xie Duo sincerely expressed his gratitude and was about to take his leave. However, he was stopped by the Third Prince. “A’Duo, your status is different now. Every move you make is being watched by the entire court, the officials, and the countless subjects. In the future, you must not show excessive concern for Master Han in front of others, and certainly, do not make jokes about marrying him.”
Xie Duo looked puzzled. “What joke? I do intend to marry him, and sooner or later, the whole world will know.”
The Third Prince looked shocked. “What are you saying?”
Xie Duo turned to face his brother. “You mentioned that many people in the capital have male lovers, indicating that this kind of relationship isn’t against common sense. Therefore, they should be granted the title of husband and wife.”
“Nonsense!” The Third Prince grabbed Xie Duo in anger. “A’Duo, you can’t be willful and reckless. It would ruin the reputation of the imperial family!”
Xie Duo frowned. “Willful and reckless? Big Brother, the matter of you having numerous women in your harem has caused a great commotion, and no one has tried to stop you from ruining the reputation of the imperial family. I’ve lived for seventeen years, and I’ve only loved Han Jiao. How is that being willful and reckless or damaging our reputation?”
“Is that the same thing? Xie Duo, you can let outsiders know that Han Jiao is your lover, but you must not mention the word ‘marriage.'”
“If I don’t grant him that title, who will be the head of the harem?”
The Third Prince raised his eyebrows in astonishment. “Are you considering making him the head of the harem?”
Xie Duo furrowed his brow. “Yes.”
The Third Prince looked at him in disbelief, stuttering as he questioned, “Then who will succeed to the throne in the future?”
“I have so many brothers. Do you think we’ll run out of heirs?”
A dreadful silence followed.
The Third Prince took a step back, his expression icy as he stared at his younger brother. After a while, he spoke coldly, “You are now the Emperor. I can’t control you anymore. Go and say this to the Empress Dowager. Say it to Old Sixth when he returns. But don’t say it to Father Emperor. Father Emperor is gravely ill now and can’t handle your recklessness.”
With that, he turned and left.
Xie Duo had anticipated that once he ascended to the dragon throne, every move would be restricted. But he hadn’t expected that even his Third Brother, who had always loved and indulged him, would refuse to stand by his side.
Xie Duo felt real pressure for the first time. If his Third Brother was like this, how would his Mother Empress and his other brothers react? How would the officials and the people of the entire nation perceive this?
The position of the Empress could not remain vacant, but Xie Duo didn’t want to marry someone he didn’t love.
If that were the case, how would he be any different from Father Emperor, who had forsaken his true love and hurt his Mother Empress all his life?
Imperial Grandfather had not allowed Father Emperor to be with his true love. The world could not tolerate an Emperor who would marry the daughter of a criminal minister. Father Emperor had chosen to protect the bigger picture, but in reality, he was deceiving himself.
Father Emperor set up this vile and shameless conspiracy, but what was the result?
He would never see his beloved again, yet he believed he had regained everything he lost.
It was ridiculous and pitiful.
Xie Duo returned to the Eastern Palace dejectedly. As he entered, he saw a group of eunuchs and palace maids surrounding Han Jiao by the dining table.
There were constant sounds of retching in the crowd.
“What’s going on?” Xie Duo hurried over to the crowd, and the attendants quickly stepped aside. He saw a servant holding a wooden bucket, while Han Jiao was clutching the edge, retching continuously.
A eunuch nervously explained, “Master Han ate too much and couldn’t digest it. He’s feeling uncomfortable…”
Xie Duo looked down at the little child prodigy with a mix of anger and concern. “If you couldn’t eat, why did you force yourself?”
Han Jiao couldn’t seem to vomit, but his stomach was bloated and uncomfortable. He pushed the bucket aside and turned to cling to Xie Duo’s waist, nuzzling his face against Xie Duo’s abdomen, whimpering softly.
Xie Duo realized he couldn’t stay angry with the little child prodigy. He took a deep breath, bent down, and gently lifted Han Jiao into his arms, carrying him to the bedroom to let him rest.
Han Jiao restlessly sat up, crawled to the edge of the bed, and clung to Xie Duo’s arm tightly.
The pressure that filled Xie Duo’s heart instantly dissipated. He turned to the little child prodigy and smilingly said, “Do you want me to help you ‘move around’ to ease your discomfort?”
Han Jiao didn’t seem to understand, but he clung to Xie Duo’s arm with a blissful expression, although he felt something in between.
He appeared a bit upset, immediately releasing Xie Duo’s arm and reaching into his own front robe. He pulled out… a small steamed bun about half the size of a palm!
Xie Duo raised an eyebrow. “Did you hide a bun in your chest?”
Han Jiao didn’t answer. Instead, he continued to reach inside and effortlessly pulled out another bun!
Xie Duo: “???”
But the magic trick wasn’t over. Han Jiao kept pulling out one after another, until his chest, once full and curvaceous, returned to its slender and bony shape. He then breathed a sigh of relief. Eight small buns were neatly piled in front of him!
Xie Duo stared in astonishment at the heap of buns, then glanced at Han Jiao’s chest. Perplexed, he looked at him and asked, “What’s going on? If your posterior fullness is achieved in the same way, I’ll report you for deceiving the Emperor.”
Han Jiao sat up and leaned in to whisper in Xie Duo’s ear, “I just stashed that many!”
Xie Duo laughed. “What’s going on with you today? Are you really this hungry?”
Han Jiao blinked in confusion and shook his head. “Not hungry.” He patted his chest and muttered, “I feel like I’m missing a lot of things, and it’s uncomfortable.”
“What are you missing?” Xie Duo pulled him into an embrace, his voice low and husky. “Should I fill you up?”
Han Jiao glanced at him shyly and whispered, “Even though you’re good-looking, you can’t just hug me. I’ll tell my mother.”
Xie Duo teased, “Your mothwr thinks you eat too much, so she gave you to me for free.”
An anxious look crossed Han Jiao’s face as he looked at Xie Duo. “Really?”
“Absolutely. Are you scared?”
Han Jiao suppressed a smile, then slyly peeked at Xie Duo and asked in a hushed voice, “What’s your name?”
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