Qin Yuanxi set down his pen and walked over to Zhao Tuo.
Zhao Tuo’s sudden appearance this time had caught Qin Yuanxi off guard, leaving him unsure of what to say. However, he was now certain that this person was indeed Zhao Tuo, and Qin Yuanxi could also guess that Zhao Tuo probably knew of Lu Bohuan’s existence, even though he wasn’t admitting it at the moment.
This situation left Qin Yuanxi a bit puzzled. Just as he was about to ask about Zhao Tuo’s intentions, he noticed Zhao Tuo skillfully opening a memorial and reading it with utmost seriousness. Qin Yuanxi hesitated for a moment, furrowing his brow slightly. He was a little unsure—was this person actually Lu Bohuan?
Could it be that he had made a momentary mistake and accidentally mistaken the wrong person?
“Your Majesty, Lord Li from the Ministry of Revenue has accused Lord Zhou from the Ministry of Personnel of favoring his own disciples during previous inspections.”
“Oh.” Qin Yuanxi’s mind was still trying to catch up, but when he heard about official matters, he quickly took the memorial to examine it. He had no prior impression of this Lord Zhou. After a thorough reading, he learned that during the previous official assessment, Lord Zhou had a student who accepted an unauthorized sum of money, resulting in some illicit income. Typically, such situations warranted dismissal, but Lord Zhou used his connections within the Ministry to protect the individual and ultimately faced only a salary reduction. The incident had seemingly been resolved.
Now, with the accusation against Lord Zhou, Qin Yuanxi followed the procedures Lu Bohuan had taught him. He approved the memorial, requested a thorough investigation, and suspended Lord Zhou from duty.
With this matter settled, it was already quite late when Qin Yuanxi finished his work. He yawned and rubbed his eyes.
Due to his unique circumstances, Qin Yuanxi couldn’t stay up late; he needed to sleep at regular hours. Even when he didn’t feel like sleeping, his little one inside his belly had other ideas, causing some restlessness. Qin Yuanxi felt drowsy.
“I will accompany Your Majesty back to the palace,” Zhao Tuo offered.
That weird feeling resurfaced within Qin Yuanxi. He hesitated briefly but couldn’t bring himself to ask. He simply nodded and followed Zhao Tuo back. The person trailing behind remained neither too close nor too far, a protective stance that made Qin Yuanxi wonder. As they strolled back to the sleeping quarters, Qin Yuanxi was still uncertain.
However, when he noticed that the person continued into his inner chambers, Qin Yuanxi became certain.
Lu Bohuan may not be as good as Zhao Tuo in other aspects, but he had always been very measured about entering Qin Yuanxi’s bedroom. Especially now, with the little one in his belly, he was even more cautious.
“Please, have a seat,” Qin Yuanxi sighed and moved to pour some water for Zhao Tuo. But when he did, the person behind him suddenly knelt with a thud, startling Qin Yuanxi. “What are you doing? Quickly, get up! Who told you to kneel?”
“I have sinned against Your Majesty, I deserve severe punishment.”
“No, what did you do? Speak up!”
Qin Yuanxi tried to help Zhao Tuo stand, but it was of no use. The person on the ground felt as heavy as an iron weight, and without Zhao Tuo’s cooperation, Qin Yuanxi couldn’t do anything.
“Get up!” Qin Yuanxi’s tone grew harsher. ” What’s wrong with you? You’re always kneeling down. If you want to kneel, it should be when I tell you to, right? Get up!”
“I deceived Your Majesty, and I deserve death; I cannot rise.”
“You’re acting like a complete donkey!” Qin Yuanxi was growing frustrated, his patience wearing thin. “Fine, stay down if you want. What did you lie to me about? Speak.”
Looking at the person on the floor, Qin Yuanxi couldn’t help but feel a mix of irritation and confusion about how iron can’t turn into steel.
They’re clearly the same person; Prince Lu exudes confidence and assertiveness. Yet, why does he turn become bit naive and silly when he transforms into Zhao Tuo?
With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Qin Yuanxi found himself both angry and amused by the situation. It seemed like Prince Lu had reserved the shrewd side of his personality for himself, leaving Zhao Tuo with the role of the one who got bullied.
“A lot.”
“A lot, what?” Qin Yuanxi took a sip of water and cleared his throat. “If there are many, then tell me the big ones!”
In truth, Qin Yuanxi hadn’t dwelled too much on what Zhao Tuo might be hiding from him. It was likely related to his true identity, and Qin Yuanxi had even suspected that Zhao Tuo might have known all along that he and Prince Lu were the same person. However, perhaps due to some resentment between the secondary personality and the main one, Zhao Tuo had chosen to neither acknowledge nor confront the truth. He even joined Qin Yuanxi in cursing at Lu Bohuan.
But if you think about it carefully, Zhao Tuo rarely made appearances, maybe once every ten days or so. Even if Lu Bohuan had arranged everything for him, it’s impossible to oversee every detail. It’s only natural for Qin Yuanxi to harbor suspicions about his true identity.
Qin Yuanxi had prepared himself for the possibility that Zhao Tuo might reveal him as Lu Bohuan, but that wasn’t what Zhao Tuo said.
“I… I’ve been keeping something from you.”
“Hmm, go on,” Qin Yuanxi replied absentmindedly, anticipating that Zhao Tuo would eventually reveal something about his identity.
“I belong to Lu Bohuan.”
Qin Yuanxi tilted his head and looked at Zhao Tuo, somewhat puzzled by this statement. What did it mean to belong to Lu Bohuan? Shouldn’t Zhao Tuo have said that he was Lu Bohuan himself? Where did this ‘belonging to’ part come from?
“What do you mean by ‘you belong to him’?”
Sticking to the principle of asking when in doubt, Qin Yuanxi inquired politely, hoping to hear a different interpretation of this unusual statement.
“I was sent by Lu Bohuan to be by Your Majesty’s side, monitoring your every move,” Zhao Tuo explained without pausing. “On the day when Your Majesty had to leave the palace, it was also Lu Bohuan who instructed me to follow you closely. And then, taking advantage of the opportunity…”
Zhao Tuo paused for a moment when he reached this part of his explanation, glancing at Qin Yuanxi before continuing, “…taking advantage of the opportunity to assassinate Your Majesty. From the moment Your Majesty left the palace, Lu Bohuan had no intention of letting you return.”
This response took Qin Yuanxi completely by surprise.
“But I’ve already returned.”
This statement was entirely unexpected, given that Qin Yuanxi had only just begun to slightly mend his relationship with Lu Bohuan. Why would Zhao Tuo suddenly introduce such an idea? According to Zhao Tuo, he was a spy Lu Bohuan had placed by his side, and it seemed Lu Bohuan had used Zhao Tuo to make Qin Yuanxi lower his guard. Moreover, Lu Bohuan apparently intended to harm Qin Yuanxi?
It started to sound like an attempt to sow discord.
Wait a minute, was Zhao Tuo trying to drive a wedge between him and Lu Bohuan? Qin Yuanxi keenly grasped the core of the matter, and his heart rate quickened slightly. This discovery was quite thrilling. Who was Zhao Tuo? He was known as the honest and straightforward General, quite different from the cunning fox Lu Bohuan. However, when Qin Yuanxi looked at that face again, he wasn’t sure.
He could see Zhao Tuo’s loyalty and honesty in Lu Bohuan, so why couldn’t Zhao Tuo have Lu Bohuan’s cunningness?
After all, they are the same person and have some things in common, it’s not a big deal!
Qin Yuanxi almost breathed out when he thought of this. If you look at it this way, is Zhao Tuo targeting Lu Bohuan?
Or is it that he can actually feel that the relationship between him and Lu Bohuan has eased in recent days, so Zhao Tuo feels threatened, so that’s why he said this and deliberately alienated him and Lu Bohuan?
As these thoughts raced through his mind, Qin Yuanxi felt a headache coming on. He pressed his temples, deciding to hold still for now.
“Zhao Tuo, I understand your point now. I have one question, and you must answer it truthfully.” Qin Yuanxi held Zhao Tuo’s hand and spoke in a serious tone, with a trace of hurt in his expression. “The past doesn’t matter now, but in the present, whose side are you on? Think carefully. Everything Lu Bohuan can offer you, I can provide as well. And now, we have a child. Think about it carefully. I have a child. When our child grows up and ascends the throne, you will be the highest-ranking, won’t that be enough?”
Qin Yuanxi held Zhao Tuo’s hand against his belly, his affection evident. “Zhao Tuo, I genuinely care for you, without a hint of insincerity. I only have you now. You must not leave me, you must not betray me!”
As he spoke, Qin Yuanxi used his sleeve to wipe away two fake tears, realizing that he was essentially in a relationship with someone who had a split personality. If he didn’t play along, this relationship might not survive. In any case, it was exhausting.
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)
