Unexpectedly, Xie Yan quickly accepted the fact that “the wives have left.” He simply leaned back on the dragon bed with a calm expression, lightly tugging at the corner of his mouth in self-mockery. With that frail demeanor, without the need for any words, he made the young man take a deep breath and feel a sense of guilt welling up inside him. He held onto Xie Yan’s hand and softly comforted him, saying, “Imperial Brother, don’t be sad. Your health is what matters!”
It’s unclear who heartlessly claimed that the emperor was in bad shape, but those scheming concubines, thinking they would become widows, hastily fled. When the palace attendants went to retrieve them, they found that each one of them had eagerly arranged marriages and even exchanged eight-character engagement gifts. Whether it was marrying someone new or already on the path to marrying someone else, it left Yin Minglu speechless. He had underestimated the determination of people in ancient times to ensure their daughters wouldn’t be widows and live lonely and miserable lives. When Emperor Jing learned of this, he remained silent for a moment, then ordered the palace attendants to deliver congratulatory gifts, considering it a blessing for these unions.
Hearing Yin Minglu’s comforting words, Xie Yan cleared his throat lightly and said, “Mingluo, you are still so considerate. You are the only one by my side now.” He extended the hand that had often reviewed memorials, turned it around to cover the back of the young man’s hand, and gently caressed it, his tone seemingly carrying some suggestive undertones related to their professional relationship.
Yin Minglu: “…”
Realizing that something was amiss, he tried to pull his hand away, but Xie Yan’s hand, though slender and delicate-looking, unexpectedly had a strong grip, and despite the nonchalant posture of the other, he couldn’t break free.
“Minglu, aren’t you willing?” The young and handsome emperor lowered his eyelashes, his slender phoenix eyes fixed on the young man. The young man lowered his head and played with his fingers, pretending not to understand. However, he immediately felt a sharp pain in his hand, forcing him to raise his face and lock eyes with the Emperor. Under that intimidation, he didn’t dare to nod readily, his gaze shifting, and he continued to feign deafness and muteness.
Xie Yan gently held the youth’s fair hand, his fingertips tracing the life line as he smiled and said, “You can take your time to think about it. I am very patient. When you come of age, I will personally crown you and choose a courtesy name for you.”
Upon hearing this, the young man’s eyes lit up. If it weren’t for the fact that his hand was still being held by Emperor Jing at the moment, he would have almost been swayed by the emperor’s display of power and benevolence. For an emperor to personally crown someone and bestow a courtesy name was a great honor, and word of it would undoubtedly be recorded in the history books.
Yin Minglu’s mind had already split into two little beings, one angelic and the other demonic, both flying around him and whispering in his ear.
Little Being A: Emperor Brother is really something! Not only is he taking care of me, but he’s also arranging my coronation!
Little Being B: He is indeed something. If only he didn’t get handsy… [muttering] coronation night might turn into a wedding night!
Little Being A: Don’t think of the dignified ruler of a nation in such a vulgar way. It might not be as bad as you think!
Little Being B: Once you’ve fattened up a deer, what do you do with it if not for consumption? Don’t let yourself be corrupted by the emperor’s woven tapestry of tenderness and wealth!
Hmm, that makes sense! Yin Minglu nodded.
Seemingly sensing the young man’s desire to break free, Xie Yan continued in a tone that was gentle but harbored ulterior motives, “Minglu, think carefully about your choice. You can choose to grow up obediently, or you can choose to give me a chance to be rough with you.”
“…” Yin Minglu was too frightened to move, so he hung his head, behaving like an obedient child.
Watching the young man’s reaction, Xie Yan chuckled softly and pulled him into his embrace. The young man instinctively struggled for a moment but was soon restrained. Xie Yan buried his face in the young man’s neck, lightly rubbing his chin against the dark hair on the young man’s head, making him feel a bit ticklish, and he let out a small sneeze.
A little sneeze caused a few strands of hair to fly, creating a rather picturesque scene.
Yin Minglu finally found a reason and tilted his little face upward, speaking confidently, “Your Majesty, I just sneezed. Since you’re not fully recovered from your illness, it’s best to keep your distance from me.”
Xie Yan replied, “I don’t mind.” He even chuckled softly, lifted the young man into his lap, making it more convenient for him to hold him tightly.
“!!!” Sensing the strong and muscular thigh of the grown man beneath him, Yin Minglu was extremely horrified and began to frantically search for excuses, his voice even changing, “Then, let go of me! My hair is messy, and I need to comb it!”
“Combing your hair?” Xie Yan’s lips curled into a smile as he lightly lifted the trembling chin of the young man with his fingers, whispering softly in his ear, “Don’t move, I’ll comb it for you.”
With that, he took a wooden comb from one of the palace maids, lowered his head with a smile, and combed the young man’s dark hair from the crown to the tips. Though Yin Minglu was quite unwilling, he had to admit that the emperor’s actions, though somewhat inexperienced, were very gentle. After finishing combing his hair, the emperor even tied it into a crooked little bun.
Against the backdrop of the young man’s delicate face in the mirror, it looked somewhat mismatched. Yin Minglu pursed his lips and before he could become too displeased, the emperor, holding the wooden comb, raised his finely arched phoenix-like eyes and assessed him. There was a hint of laziness in his gaze as he spoke in a tone that was both playful and ambiguous, “This doesn’t seem quite right. Let me try again.” With that, he unraveled the bun he had just tied and let the young man’s lustrous black hair fall freely over his shoulders.
Yin Minglu: “…” Well, he’s a man.
The result of this hair-combing session was half an hour long, and Yin Minglu was almost falling asleep. Naturally, he didn’t have the energy to resist, so he let the emperor do as he pleased with his hair.
Meanwhile, at a temple at the foot of Dafeng Mountain, Qin Manman was also preparing herself in front of a mirror.
Upon hearing the news of the emperor’s critical illness, some of the more calculating concubines had already begun to entertain thoughts of leaving the palace to enjoy their lives. After all, they didn’t want to become widows, but they also didn’t want to flee when the emperor was on the brink of death, leaving behind a reputation of heartlessness and ungratefulness. In this world, women had a harder time surviving than men, and while most men could get by without much concern for their reputation, it was different for women. They had to be particularly mindful of their reputation to avoid the constant judgment and gossip that followed them wherever they went.
So they came up with excuses, saying they wanted to pray for the Emperor, shave their heads, become nuns, and live a life of devotion and meditation in front of the Buddha. They claimed they would wait for a few years after the Emperor’s passing, once the rumors had died down, before returning to society and finding someone to marry. This way, they could preserve their reputation and wealth, holding onto the gifts the Emperor had given them without any trouble.
Qin Manman was one of them, and she quickly packed her belongings and left the palace. After all, despite being married to the Emperor, the other women still had some genuine feelings for him, but Qin Manman seemed extremely eager to leave. She didn’t even have time to tidy up her things before she rushed to her family’s Qin Mansion.
In the mansion, she saw her father, Master Qin, and her mother, Madame Qin, both with joyful smiles on their faces, and her older sister, Qin Shanshan, who was holding a baby in her arms, standing beside her husband. The whole family was happy and harmonious. No one expected Qin Manman to return, and she even looked unrecognizable to everyone. Although it was the same face, it appeared disheveled, as if she had escaped from the palace.
Upon hearing Qin Manman’s intentions and seeing the numerous gifts from the palace, Master Qin’s face turned pale, and he said, “Since you’ve already told the Emperor that you want to become a nun, how can you break your word, enjoy the rewards, and return to your family? Go and stay at the temple.” He had long heard from his wife that their daughter had entered the palace against their wishes, even resorting to stealing the family token. Master Qin couldn’t hide his disappointment in his daughter’s erratic behavior.
The daughters of the Lu and Li families had also entered the palace, but they would regularly write letters back home about everything that happened in their lives. Within a fortnight, they would have received three or four letters, filled with heartfelt details about their experiences. It was as if they were the warm, comforting cotton jackets they used to wear before getting married, which made their families feel exceptionally pleased. In contrast, Qin Manman had hardly sent a single letter home in several months, as if she considered the Qin residence a place of death! Even the news of her promotion to the rank of Imperial Consort was only known to them because a eunuch came to inform them. When compared, it became apparent that this daughter of theirs was like water thrown out of a bucket.
The Qin family members were unaware that Qin Manman had a system and that she preferred to communicate with the system when she had any concerns. Additionally, she wasn’t a true Qin family daughter and hadn’t grown up with the Qin elders. Consequently, she lacked any genuine emotional attachment and didn’t even think about writing letters home. She completely disregarded the Emperor’s gifts and actions, which left the Qin family deeply disappointed. They simply waved their hands, considering her as if she had never been born into the family.
Now that Qin Manman was in trouble and wanted to return to her parents’ home, the Qin family naturally didn’t welcome her. Moreover, being a palace consort who didn’t fulfill her duty to attend to the ailing Emperor was already becoming a topic of public ridicule. But Qin Manman had no intention of abiding by her earlier promise. She wanted to go straight back to her parents’ home. Master Qin, as a court official who strictly adhered to the rules, couldn’t allow his daughter to behave so deceitfully and disobediently. Even before Qin Manman could bring her belongings into the house, Master Qin ordered the steward to drive her out and provided a carriage along with two or three maidservants to escort her directly to the nunnery.
Being half-heartedly welcomed by her family and then driven away from the Qin residence, Qin Manman couldn’t contain her anger and began to curse loudly. She felt even more convinced that the original owner’s family was heartless and indifferent, offering no assistance when their youngest daughter was in trouble. On the other hand, the eldest daughter could freely come and go as she pleased with her child, displaying an obvious favoritism that was hard to ignore.
Since her family wouldn’t take her in, Qin Manman had no choice but to stay temporarily in the temple. She even coldly rejected the abbess’s offer to perform the ordination ceremony for her, insisting on being treated as a lay disciple, much to the abbess’s distress. If a woman’s face was considered her first line of life, then her hair was the second. Qin Manman naturally valued her hair greatly. While she had stated her intention to become a nun and shave her head, she had no real intention of parting with her own hair.
Today, as usual, she was grooming herself, using a comb to carefully tend to her dark locks. Because almost everyone in the temple was bald, despite their exceptionally attractive appearances, Qin Manman couldn’t help but feel a sense of vanity. Her own hair became even more precious to her, and when she combed it, it could take up to half an hour.
However, she loved her hair, even though its quality was less than ideal. With a gentle stroke of the comb, several broken strands would appear on it. The more she combed, the more hair she lost, which frustrated Qin Manman to the point that she threw the comb aside and began applying makeup in front of the mirror.
But the reflection in the mirror had swollen, reddened eyes, along with the dark circles underneath, all highlighting her recent poor mental state. She had been cautious in her behavior, keeping the items bestowed upon her by the Emperor close and refraining from indulgence, all while waiting for news of the Emperor’s passing. Because once the Emperor passed away, her secrets would remain hidden, and even if they were exposed, what did it matter? People die, and what was the point of investigating her now?
However, she had waited and waited, even to the point of receiving news that the Emperor had recovered and overcome his difficulties. All the young nuns in the temple happily prayed for the Emperor, hoping that this prosperous and wise monarch would continue to reign peacefully and prosperously. But Qin Manman was terrified, dropped the cup in her hand, and felt a sense that a great disaster was about to befall her.
Author’s Note: The next chapter will be the final chapter!
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Thank you to the little angels who voted for me and irrigated me with nutrient solution~
