As the dusk enveloped the surroundings, Qin Yuanxi strolled out from the study, feeling a slight ache in his back. Lately, it had been great with Zhao Tuo by his side, and sure, it was all sweet and cozy, almost like a honeymoon. But there was a hitch. When it came to matters like handling official matters like memorials and such, Qin Yuanxi had to take matters into his own hands. Zhao Tuo not only didn’t help but sometimes even played tricks.
Whenever Qin Yuanxi needed to review memorials, Zhao Tuo would start to be mischievous. Qin Yuanxi’s situation couldn’t bear Zhao Tuo’s teasing, especially during his pregnancy, which made his desires stronger. He couldn’t help it, and Zhao Tuo’s deliberate seduction didn’t help either. Even a saint couldn’t resist, let alone Qin Yuanxi, who was just an ordinary person. He had been late for morning court several times already. Since he was the emperor and Prince Lu was not around, no one dared to object. Missing it a few times was manageable, as it felt like a small break he gave himself.
As the number of times increased, Qin Yuanxi couldn’t help but feel guilty and arranged to send Zhao Tuo away when he could. He started working diligently, catching up on the memorials that had piled up recently and completing the tasks set by Prince Lu from before. He couldn’t appear too lazy, or when Prince Lu returned, he would surely be unhappy.
Prince Lu was not as easygoing as Zhao Tuo. If he knew how neglectful Qin Yuanxi had been, he would surely give him a scolding. So Qin Yuanxi kept himself busy, but once engrossed in work, he lost track of time. It wasn’t until he stretched lazily that he realized something odd – Zhao Tuo hadn’t ‘disturbed’ him today.
This was very strange.
Unlike Prince Lu, Zhao Tuo preferred not to read. While Zhao Tuo enjoys staying in the study with him, their activities differ. Lu Bohuan engages in serious discussions on political matters or the livelihood of the people, resembling a teacher-student dynamic, excluding Qin Yuanxi’s occasional distraction.
Zhao Tuo, however, never touches official documents or despises historical texts. He hates those things even more than Qin Yuanxi does, as if just one look at them could kill him. If it weren’t for Prince Lu’s background, Qin Yuanxi would have thought that Zhao Tuo couldn’t read. Sometimes, Qin Yuanxi would subconsciously mistake Zhao Tuo for Lu Bohuan and ask him questions related to state affairs, but Zhao Tuo would respond randomly or offer vague guidance.
A simple ‘Your Majesty is the master of all, so everything is under your control’ sufficed to explain his views – the emperor held ultimate power, and whatever he wished to do, he could, without paying much attention to the ministers’ opinions. It was straightforward but not the best advice. So, over time, Qin Yuanxi stopped discussing state affairs with Zhao Tuo. Thus, when Zhao Tuo came to the study, it was solely to spend time with him, not to discuss politics.
Initially, Zhao Tuo was somewhat restrained, sitting nearby when Qin Yuanxi was busy. However, Qin Yuanxi noticed him looking pitiful and eventually brought him closer, leaning on him while reviewing memorials. Often, the memorials would be forgotten amidst their intimacy. This once nearly caused a major issue, leading to ministers expressing dissatisfaction with the emperor’s negligence. After that, they sent three consecutive memorials urging the emperor to be more diligent and attentive to the affairs of the state.
Qin Yuanxi had learned his lesson. To avoid distraction when he was working, he kept Zhao Tuo at arm’s length. Still, he had been too lenient, and Zhao Tuo would sneak in under the guise of bringing pastries, tea, or candles, leading to further delays and sweet moments, a sweet burden indeed.
It was a sweet burden.
Watching the fading sun, Qin Yuanxi found it strange that Zhao Tuo, who usually found excuses to come in, hadn’t shown up. Even after searching, he was nowhere to be found, not even at the martial arts arena he frequented.
“Strange, where did this guy go?”
Qin Yuanxi’s belly has grown bigger, and the cloak wrapped around his body is no longer able to cover it. Thanks to the cold weather, he wears thick clothes, as he does every day when he goes to court. The ministers, respecting his position, didn’t dare to stare closely. He appeared only slightly fatter, he could conceal his appearance from others, but it didn’t deceive himself. After just walking around a few times, Qin Yuanxi already felt a little tired.
This kid is growing up day by day, and sooner or later, it will be impossible to hide. When it comes to the child issue, Lu Bohuan talked with him before, though his ideas were somewhat lousy, he at least had some awareness in that regard. But Zhao Tuo, he doesn’t seem to have this kind of awareness at all. Qin Yuanxi thought about this and furrowed his brows. Could it be that he really wants to have a child in the palace? If that’s the case, won’t the whole world know that a man like him is going to have a child? It just feels, well, awkward.
“Have you found him? Where on earth did he go?” Qin Yuanxi was getting a bit irritated. “It’s so annoying. He used to be in front of my eyes all the time when there was nothing to do, and now when I need to find him, he’s nowhere to be found. Can he fly or something? Wait, ask if he has left the palace.”
“Your Majesty, he hasn’t left the palace. The Prince is currently in the Moonlight Pavilion; it seems he’s not feeling well and called for the royal physician.”
The young eunuch Ding Yi hurried over, wiping the sweat from his face, and reported hastily, “I’ve called the sedan chair, and they will be here shortly.”
“Not feeling well?” Qin Yuanxi’s anger, which had started to flare up, suddenly subsided. Even before the sedan chair arrived, he headed in the direction of the Moonlight Pavilion. “How can he not be feeling well?”
After taking a few steps, he slowed down and turned to Ding Yi, asking, “In the Moonlight Pavilion? Not in my bedchamber?”
“He’s in the Moonlight Pavilion. I personally confirmed it with the attendants from the Moonlight Pavilion. There’s no mistake.”
Qin Yuanxi’s pace slowed even more.
When Zhao Tuo woke up, he always stayed in his bedchamber, only sleeping in his dragon bed. The two of them slept together at night and never separated. The person inside Moonlight Pavilion was Prince Lu, and the thought of seeing Lu Bohuan made Qin Yuanxi feel a strange kind of awkward emotion, something he couldn’t quite put into words.
His urgency in finding Zhao Tuo wasn’t really about anything else; it was just that he had been too well taken care of by Zhao Tuo recently. After a suffocating time in the study, his legs were sore, his waist ached, and he longed for Zhao Tuo’s broad hands, kneading his body with force. When he couldn’t find Zhao Tuo, he understood that this inexplicable restlessness was all about that.
However, it was one thing to act spoiled with Zhao Tuo, but it was a whole different matter with Lu Bohuan. Qin Yuanxi just wanted to act a bit spoiled with Zhao Tuo, throw a small tantrum—simple human pleasures. That was different from Lu Bohuan. How could he act spoiled or throw tantrums with Lu Bohuan? Lu Bohuan was the Imperial Teacher. Despite having the same face, the same body, having slept together, and been intimate, it wasn’t quite the same for Qin Yuanxi. What he could do with Zhao Tuo, he couldn’t do with Lu Bohuan.
Realizing this, Qin Yuanxi’s steps came to a halt again, and he decided not to find Zhao Tuo after all.
“Back to my bedchamber.”
As he started in the direction of his bedchamber, he took a couple of steps, then stopped once more, feeling quite vexed. He sighed, “Should I still go see him? How unwell is he? If he finds out that I deliberately didn’t visit him, it won’t be good, will it? Oh well, let’s go see him, think of it as a get-well visit.”
He turned back and continued toward the Moonlight Pavilion, but after taking a few steps, he stopped again. “Could I visit him tomorrow instead? It’s getting late, and is it a bit inappropriate for me to go looking for him now?”
He considered turning back again, but in the time he spent pondering, the sedan chair had already caught up, and the entourage was quite imposing. Qin Yuanxi looked at the magnificent royal sedan chair and sighed as he got in. “Head to the Moonlight Pavilion.”
For better or worse, trouble couldn’t be avoided. Lu Bohuan had moved into the Moonlight Pavilion instead of returning home, and wasn’t that just an invitation for Qin Yuanxi to find him?
The Moonlit Pavilion had a great location, snugly nestled in the bustling crossroads between the outer court and the inner palace, right along the extension of the Emperor’s sleeping chambers. There was even a little shortcut to get there, making it super close. When Qin Yuanxi arrived, he spotted Lu Bohuan. Dressed in a plain robe, his hair casually undone, holding a scroll, leaning against a slanted window. A gentle breeze tousled his hair, exuding a faint regal air, quite dashing and refined. For a moment, Qin Yuanxi was mesmerized.
“Your Majesty? When did you arrive?” Lu Bohuan hadn’t turned a page in his book yet, but he noticed the person standing outside. His brow slightly furrowed. “The sun has set, and it’s getting chilly outside. Your Majesty, Why didn’t you come in? What are you doing out there? What if you catch a cold?”
“Ah? Uh, that’s…” Qin Yuanxi quickly snapped back to reality, a hint of embarrassment on his face. “Prince Lu, are you reading? I didn’t mean to disturb you on purpose, I just… I heard you weren’t feeling well, so I came to check on you. What did the royal physician say? Have you taken your medicine?”
Seemingly sensing his nervousness, Lu Bohuan set down his book, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Your Majesty, won’t you come inside to talk?”
“Coming in, coming in,” Qin Yuanxi awkwardly chuckled and, as he took a step inside, it felt a bit awkward, realizing he was walking a bit clumsily, trying to correct himself after a few steps, afraid of being noticed. Subconsciously, he coughed to cover up, pretending to walk in calmly.
Though he didn’t want to admit it, the turmoil in his heart at that moment was real.
He had thought his feelings toward Lu Bohuan were only of respect between teacher and student. But what kind of teacher-student relationship makes someone lose focus and composure? Wasn’t this teacher-student relationship a bit too complicated? Was he being drawn to Lu Bohuan, or were his feelings for Zhao Tuo influencing his thoughts about Lu Bohuan, or perhaps… Qin Yuanxi couldn’t explain. At this moment, he was a bit lost.
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)
