The communication played out well. Lu Bohuan opened up to Qin Yuanxi, sharing all his problems, and Qin Yuanxi proved to be an excellent listener.
In other words, Qin Yuanxi’s presence itself was a relaxation for Lu Bohuan. With Qin Yuanxi by his side, he could breathe freely, gradually letting go of the burden weighing on his heart.
Their days grew smoother, sticking to their prior agreement, spending a fixed time each week in this somewhat informal therapy. Sometimes they discussed their personal matters—Lu Bohuan shared his struggles and difficulties, while Qin Yuanxi recalled about his mischievous antics from his childhood. At times, they simply lazed together, dozed off, or engaged in other idle activities. Yet, whatever they did, being together was healing.
Even after the royal decree was issued, there were unharmonious voices within the court, and several piles of opposing petitions accumulated. At first, Qin Yuanxi would look at it when he was bored to see what these people could say, but eventually, he found them uninteresting and chose to ignore them. He would collect the petitions, feigning busyness, allowing him to enlist Lu Bohuan’s help to review and respond, a facade of busyness they both played along with.
It was blissful.
Since Lu Bohuan gradually recovered, Qin Yuanxi redirected his attention to the study. It wasn’t like before when they would indulge in child’s play. This time, Qin Yuanxi seriously brought Lu Bohuan over to work as a diligent assistant. How could they afford to let such a pivotal figure, a highly resourceful individual, sit idle? That would be the utmost waste of resources, something absolutely intolerable. Lu Bohuan had to shine; otherwise, how could Qin Yuanxi slack off?
“Your Majesty, I’ve signed off on the petitions. What are you doing?”
Qin Yuanxi patted the stack in front of him. “I thought we agreed to split these. One stack for you and one for me—that’s fair. You can’t back out now; you promised me. If you go back on your word and leave me alone, then I will definitely have to stay up late again. Can you bear it?”
His pitiable tone could deceive, making it seem like he was genuinely wronged. Lu Bohuan, holding the petitions, didn’t expose him: “Your Majesty, you should be more diligent. Lately, you’ve become even lazier.”
“Absolutely not! This is what they call work-life balance,” Qin Yuanxi countered. “Besides, I have important matters to prepare for. Can you assist me? We’ll discuss the critical issues together. For the less significant matters like routine petitions, could you help with those, please?”
Could it be bad? Of course, there’s only one answer—good.
Handling petitions wasn’t a big deal for Lu Bohuan. He’d assisted the incompetent emperors with these petitions before. Back then, it was a necessity; if he hadn’t acted, chaos would have ensued. With the realm’s affairs in disarray, he had no choice but to step in.
But now, it felt different.
Looking into Qin Yuanxi’s lively, clear eyes, Lu Bohuan felt willingly obliged.
“The tax revenue from the Northern regions this year has been collected, 20,000 silver taels less than last year. It seems your tax reforms are making an impact, Your Majesty,” Lu Bohuan closed the petition. “By this trend, the Southern regions will also see a decrease. If so, the treasury faces a significant loss this year. Do you have a plan?”
“Ah Tuo, the treasury is the nation’s money. But what about mine?” Qin Yuanxi raised a serious concern. “Do I not get paid as an emperor? Do I have my own money?”
It was quite a relevant question. They say the emperor possesses all the wealth in the world, but this notion was absurd. The wealth belonged to the people; the treasury’s money was the people’s money, meant to be utilized for their welfare. That’s taking from the people and using it for the people—the correct approach.
However, the real issue lay elsewhere. He also had his expenses. Should he withdraw money from the treasury?
To feel guilty and breathless while doing so didn’t seem right!
“Why this question? Besides the treasury, Your Majesty also has a private fund,” Lu Bohuan looked at him oddly. “What’s the matter? You don’t intend to subsidize the treasury with your private funds, do you?”
“Absolutely not!” Qin Yuanxi immediately refused, reaching over to take the petition from Lu Bohuan. “There’s no need to worry about the insufficient treasury. It’s currently quite abundant. We can utilize these funds to generate more wealth for the benefit of the people, stimulating domestic consumption and promoting economic growth.”
“When the people have more money, they’ll pay more taxes, enriching the treasury. With interest accumulating, will there ever be a shortage of funds?”
Experienced indeed. Although not having ruled a country, he had lived his early life in a comfortable and prosperous environment, understanding what the common folk required and where policies should lean. While minor differences might exist in detail, the overall approach wouldn’t be wrong.
“The nation’s wealth and strength are on the horizon, so rest assured,” Qin Yuanxi squeezed in beside Lu Bohuan. “Now, tell me about this private fund. How does an emperor obtain one? Is it from the people’s labor or deducted from the treasury? Can I use it?”
“It’s passed down, inherited through generations of emperors,” Lu Bohuan explained. “Throughout history, emperors receive a salary. This money is deposited into the emperor’s private fund. If an emperor indulges excessively and depletes the private fund, eventually, the treasury might get involved. However, our late emperor was frugal and diligent, and so are you, Your Majesty. Therefore, a substantial sum remains in the private fund. Do you have any plans?”
“So, I’ve inherited an estate,” Qin Yuanxi chuckled upon hearing an approximate figure from Lu Bohuan, surprised beyond belief.
Unable to contain a soft laugh, Lu Bohuan patted Qin Yuanxi’s head. “You’re the emperor, of course, you have a lot of money.”
Qin Yuanxi swallowed hard. “I just didn’t expect this much. It’s more than enough, really.”
“What will you do with it?” Lu Bohuan was curious. Qin Yuanxi wasn’t someone who spent money recklessly. Living in the palace, he hardly had any personal expenses and was quite thrifty. Lu Bohuan couldn’t understand where Qin Yuanxi might need to spend.
“If you need it, I have some extra. I’ll have the Ministry of Interior Affairs inform the Wang Fu and the steward will handle it.”
“No way!” Qin Yuanxi immediately refused.
After refusing, fearing he sounded too abrupt, he quickly diverted: “If I run out of money, I’ll come to you. We’re partners, aren’t we? I’ve let you handle the petitions. Do those few coins make a difference?”
Watching Qin Yuanxi’s guilty smile, Lu Bohuan shook his head, choosing not to press further.
“Your Majesty, Prime Minister Wang requests an audience.”
As soon as the eunuch announced, Qin Yuanxi noticed Lu Bohuan’s brow furrowing—a subconscious reaction, even unbeknownst to Lu Bohuan. Amused, Qin Yuanxi leaned in and planted a soft kiss on Lu Bohuan’s forehead, whispering, “Stop frowning, or we’ll have a little mountain valley forming here. Our handsome Ah Tuo might turn into a vinegar jar.”
“No, that’s not what I meant.” Lu Bohuan instinctively tried to refute but felt somewhat unsettled after saying it. “Why is Prime Minister Wang here?”
“Why do you seem so hostile toward him?” Qin Yuanxi suppressed a smile. “Is it because the old Prime Minister always brings portraits of beautiful women whenever he visits?”
True enough, a significant portion of the portraits presented during the selection of concubines were brought by the old Prime Minister. But one couldn’t blame him; it was merely fulfilling his duty to the emperor. If the Emperor commanded, how could he refuse?
“This time, I asked him to come for some discussions. Ah Tuo, would you like to check on Xiao Bao? He must be missing you.”
That excuse sounded rather feeble.
Nevertheless, Lu Bohuan complied. Qin Yuanxi didn’t want him to know something? He could remain unaware. After all, there were no secrets within the palace. Not knowing today didn’t mean not knowing tomorrow. What he needed to know, he’d eventually find out.
As Prime Minister Wang entered, Lu Bohuan was just about to leave. Before the official greeting, before a ‘Prince’ could be uttered, Lu Bohuan nodded and left. For some unknown reason, Prime Minister Wang felt a tinge of unease in the way Lu Bohuan had looked at him earlier.
The old Prime Minister wondered what he had done wrong. He had even assisted in settling the matter of the queen selection. How did he offend Prince Lu? Or perhaps, his timing wasn’t appropriate, disturbing Prince Lu?
If that were the case, it would be his fault indeed.
Prime Minister Wang muttered an apology twice before entering the grand hall.
“Quickly, quickly, provide a seat for the Prime Minister.”
As soon as the official arrived, the Emperor followed closely with a teapot, actively pouring a cup for the Prime Minister. “How did your inquiry go about the thing I asked you?”
“It’s settled. Following Your Majesty’s instructions, I located the residence of the former Yong Xian Prince from the southern region. The land is still there, but it’s in a poor shape. It might take some time to clean it up.”
“No rush, no rush.” Qin Yuanxi calculated. “The Ministry of Rites mentioned the wedding preparations would take over half a year. It seems it’ll be next spring before it happens. I propose we set it for April; it’s a beautiful time when nature blooms. My bridal chamber will be entrusted to you. Please ensure there are no mistakes.”
“The day of our great joy, it’s an once-in-a-lifetime event. The old prime minister must take extra care.” Qin Yuanxi’s eyes welled up with tears: “I can’t leave the palace, so I can only trouble you to keep an eye on things. Money is not an issue; I have a private treasury. We can use all of it without hesitation. Isn’t saving up a dowry precisely for marrying off a daughter? The old prime minister must not skimp on my behalf. This marriage must be grand and splendid.”
Outside the grand hall, Lu Bohuan’s ears felt warm. He touched them, unable to conceal his restless emotions, and quickly departed, with his head lowered.
This time, he genuinely left. He had already stepped out but realized he had left Xiao Bao’s toy inside the hall. He turned back to retrieve it and unexpectedly overheard this conversation.
He had originally thought it was some official matter, but it turned out that Qin Yuanxi had summoned the Prime Minister to discuss this.
A wedding, a grand wedding, was it truly happening?
In a daze, he felt an unreal sensation.
Lu Bohuan gazed at the clouds above, a slight curve forming on his lips. The clouds above seemed to be smiling back.
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)
