Qin Yuanxi couldn’t catch his breath, feeling dizzy. When he slowly came to, he found himself gazing at the bright yellow imperial tent, exhaling a sigh of relief.
That was terrifying! How could he have such a frightful dream?
Why did he dream that the Regent Prince, Lu Bohuan, had the exact same face as Zhao Tuo?
Seems like he’s still afraid of Prince Lu. Even just returning to the palace, he’s already consumed by the dread of being dominated by Lu Bohuan. It spares no aspect, not even his dreams.
It seemed the days ahead would likely be quite difficult.
“Where’s Zhao Tuo? Summon him to see me,” Qin Yuanxi massaged his slightly throbbing forehead and issued an order to the outside. He knew that eunuchs were always stationed in the Emperor’s chambers, even though he lacked real power, his status as the Emperor granted him certain privileges.
As his words fell, his hand on his forehead paused for a moment, and belatedly, he added, “Tell him to come.”
“What is His Majesty’s order?”
It wasn’t the voice of a young eunuch. Qin Yuanxi’s movements instantly stiffened.
He recognized this tone, slightly deep and magnetic, usually laced with a hint of tenderness. But now, there was no trace of emotion in it. Instead, there was impatience, even a chilliness that could rival the ice of midwinter.
It gave Qin Yuanxi a shiver.
“The Re… Regent Prince?”
Lu Bohuan flung open the bright yellow imperial curtain. The attending imperial physician hurried forward, bowed, and began checking Qin Yuanxi’s pulse.
Qin Yuanxi hardly cared about his pulse. His face formed a rigid smile as he looked at Lu Bohuan, dressed in court attire. That face was undeniably familiar. He bit his tongue to stay alert.
“Why is the Regent Prince here?”
“This morning, Your Majesty fainted in court. The ministers were greatly concerned. I am here specially, waiting for Your Majesty.”
For some reason, as Lu Bohuan spoke those last words, Qin Yuanxi felt his pace of speech slow dramatically. A vague sense of indistinct menace lingered within, making him instinctively touch his own neck.
A slight chill.
The morning court wasn’t a dream at all. The valiant, loyal, and wise General was merely an illusion. There was only one ambitiously scheming Regent Prince. Just this alone made Qin Yuanxi feel he couldn’t be more finished.
If he had known it would turn out like this, he would never have agreed to return to the palace!
Of course, whether he agrees or not doesn’t really matter.
“Physician An, how is His Majesty’s health?” Lu Bohuan’s gaze turned cool as it landed on the physician. Qin Yuanxi felt like he was being questioned by a stern parent, and his heart raced.
How is my health? What’s it to you? Could you not ask? Every time you ask, I get anxious.
If it were just fear, that would be one thing. He could pretend to be an obedient puppet and accept his fate. A true man knows when to yield. But the problem now is, he seems to have slept with this Prince Lu. A true man can yield, but a true man can’t just be… well, slept with!
Sleeping with Zhao Tuo, he could tolerate that. He could even willingly accept it. But with Lu Bohuan, Qin Yuanxi felt like he was being emotionally deceived, something he couldn’t bear.
A fraud! No wonder there’s no mention of anything related to Zhao Tuo in the book. Because this man simply doesn’t exist! A total fraud!
Observing the discontent etched on the Emperor’s and Regent Prince’s faces, Court Physician An hastily responded, “Your Majesty, rest assured. The Emperor’s exhaustion and recent anxiety have merely caused a surge of qi and blood due to the lack of proper rest. It’s not a major concern; with good rest and a couple of days of recuperation, things will return to normal.”
Regent Lu Bohuan cast a glance at the young Emperor on the bed, his tone remaining cool, “Oh, may I inquire why His Majesty is fatigued and why the excessive anxiety?”
An Taiyi wore a troubled expression, looking at both the Regent Prince and the Emperor. A wrinkled forehead resembled a blossoming flower of uncertainty. How could he know the answers to these questions? Wasn’t it inappropriate to ask the Emperor?
Or perhaps, he should ask the Regent Prince himself? The entire court knew that for the past half month, the Regent Prince had taken the Emperor out of the palace. Why did the Emperor faint in the morning court upon his return? Wasn’t the Regent Prince aware of the reason?
“I didn’t ask you. You may leave.”
Qin Yuanxi’s scalp tingled as he felt he was being observed. If he didn’t ask the physician, then he should be asking him. Was there a third person here?
Indeed, there was – that little eunuch, Ding Yi. Qin Yuanxi recognized him.
“Ding Yi, I have a headache and thirst. Bring me a cup of hot water.”
The young eunuch dashed off and never returned. What an ungrateful servant!
Lu Bohuan poured a cup of tea for him with indifference, even bringing it close to Qin Yuanxi’s lips. However, that sharp gaze was a sensation Qin Yuanxi couldn’t relish. Swallowing the water made his throat ache.
“I am tired, and if the Regent Prince has no other matters too, I’d like to rest.”
“There is a matter.” Lu Bohuan took the tea cup and casually set it aside. Then he sat on Qin Yuanxi’s dragon bed, grabbed his chin, and his face turned stern. “Your Majesty, care to tell me how these past two weeks outside the palace have been?”
Enjoyable, indeed. But whether it was enjoyable or not, that no longer concerned Qin Yuanxi.
Now, his life was at stake. All he could sense in Lu Bohuan’s eyes was a chilling coldness. This man seemed as heartless and indifferent as a statue. Qin Yuanxi feared that if his grip slipped, that hand might end his life right then and there.
With Lu Bohuan’s abilities, his death would be in vain, just a worthless demise.
“Hehe, Prince, you jest. Weren’t we out dealing with bandits?” Qin Yuanxi smiled nervously, trying to change the subject.
“Mm.” Lu Bohuan released his grip and subconsciously rubbed his fingers, and there was a hint of stiffness in the atmosphere.
The Regent Prince was standing by his bedside, not saying anything, nor showing any intention of leaving. Qin Yuanxi’s nerves couldn’t help but tighten. He slowed his breathing as much as possible, afraid of disturbing this man. Even after spenting so much time outside with Zhao Tuo, Qin Yuanxi knew, in this book’s world, the true protagonist was Lu Bohuan, the Regent Prince. He, as the puppet Emperor, was a disposable background character, at best.
Could he expect Lu Bohuan to be lenient with him? That would be suicidal!
As Lu Bohuan remained silent, Qin Yuanxi kept quiet as well. After hugging the blanket for a while, his eyelids began to fight against gravity. He truly was tired, having risen too early in the morning, then being startled by Lu Bohuan. Now, he had to maintain an alert state, leaving him utterly fatigued.
He contemplated whether he should faint again or not. But before he could decide, Lu Bohuan spoke up.
“Zhao Tuo is an alias I used, taking my mother’s surname. The name ‘Tuo’ signifies expanding territory, a moniker I employed during my earlier military years. It’s been many years since anyone mentioned that name. I only used it on the battlefield. How did Your Majesty come to know of it, and why did you call me by that name upon awakening?”
Qin Yuanxi cleared his throat and subtly shifted himself within the bed, putting a little more distance between himself and Regent Lu Bohuan.
“Um, during the operation to suppress bandits outside the palace, the Prince said it wouldn’t be appropriate to reveal his identity, so he used an alias.”
At this point, Qin Yuanxi was starting to sense something amiss. Initially too shocked to process, his awareness was slowly returning. He now realized that the current Regent Lu might not remember the various encounters he had with Zhao Tuo outside the palace.
The person was still the same person, but, though Qin Yuanxi hesitated to admit it, this Regent Lu might be suffering from some sort of mental condition, possibly with a dual personality. The catch was whether he himself was aware of it.
“Does Prince not remember?” Qin Yuanxi ventured cautiously, attempting to confirm his hunch, but the words seemed to have come out wrong as soon as he spoke them.
Regent Lu Bohuan’s gaze turned icy, he flicked his sleeve in clear displeasure and remarked, “Has His Majesty finished copying the book?”
“What book?” Qin Yuanxi instinctively asked, only realizing after the words had left his mouth that it was the book Regent Lu Bohuan had tasked him with copying in the Ancestral Hall that night. Whether it was a dog or Regent Lu himself, even at a time like this, he was still fretting over the incomplete book. Qin Yuanxi genuinely admired his composed and cool-headed attitude.
Clearly, this ambitious and scheming Regent Lu had no recollection of the events of the past half month — the bandit suppression or Zhao Tuo. He had no memory of any of it. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be sitting here, waiting for answers. The problem was that Qin Yuanxi knew Regent Lu didn’t remember anything, and Regent Lu probably knew that he knew. In what should have been a situation favoring Qin Yuanxi, Regent Lu had managed to seize the initiative.
Truly fitting for a male lead; there was no room for refusal.
“His Majesty’s merits in suppressing bandits are exceptional. We’ll set aside the ‘Zi Jing’ for now. Instead, write an article about the trip to suppress the bandits. Hand it over to me tomorrow.” Regent Lu Bohuan finished and cast a glance at Qin Yuanxi. “Additionally, as His Majesty is becoming increasingly steady, it’s probably time to examine the martial works stored in the book collection room. Let’s begin from tomorrow.”
“Wait, wait a minute. Are you saying to read the ‘Art of war’?” Qin Yuanxi was a bit puzzled about what Regent Lu Bohuan meant. Clutching the brocade quilt, he felt a layer of cold sweat on his back. “I, I don’t think I need to read military strategies. With the Regent proficient in both civil and martial affairs, he will surely safeguard Great Qin for generations. With the Regent around, I don’t think I need to bother with military texts.”
Regent Lu Bohuan gave him a single look, just one, and before Qin Yuanxi could grasp the full meaning, His Excellency the Regent turned and left, leaving behind an aloof silhouette. Qin Yuanxi stared at that familiar silhouette for a moment, his eyes slightly stinging. He was about to rub his nose when suddenly, a more critical issue dawned on him.
“Damn it, no wonder he made me read martial texts. The military token is with me!”
Qin Yuanxi was utterly dumbfounded.
Zhao Tuo’s silence about the military token was nothing surprising. After all, he’s following the loyal and devoted general character setting. It’s understandable for him to pledge unwavering loyalty and display all kinds of devotion to His Majesty. However, the present situation is quite different. Zhao Tuo, without any ambitious schemes, has casually passed on the military token of Prince Lu to him. No wonder Lu Bohuan’s face looks so sour. Whose face wouldn’t sour after losing such a crucial symbol of authority?
Once the realization had settled, Qin Yuanxi collapsed onto the bed, enveloped in laughter and his blanket. What a situation this was! It’s likely that Prince Lu is now a hundred, a thousand times more frustrated than he was. The hard-earned military token carelessly slipped into the Emperor’s hands. Is he voluntarily reducing his own power?
But as he laughed, Qin Yuanxi’s laughter faded.
Prince Lu, that conspiring figure. Who knows what he might have done for the sake of that military token? And when he pondered further, wouldn’t the days ahead be even more difficult? Qin Yuanxi’s expression collapsed in an instant, buried within his blanket, unwilling to resurface. What a predicament this was. Could he still return the military token to its rightful owner?
What a ridiculous token of affection. He wanted nothing to do with it.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
