SSEWC Chapter 39

After finishing breakfast, He Heng cuddled with Wen Liangyu and enjoyed a pleasant nap.

On the other hand, the old eunuch Liu Fuyuan, who stood guard outside the palace gate, didn’t have the same carefree demeanor.

With a feather duster tucked in his arms, Liu Fuyuan’s weathered face showed a few more wrinkles due to worry. He paced restlessly at the entrance, visibly uneasy.

Due to the incident from last night, the morning court session was canceled today. The Emperor was still inside Prince Jing’s bedroom and hadn’t come out, which left Liu Fuyuan feeling uneasy.

As long as he couldn’t see Wen Liangyu, he couldn’t ease his suspended heart.

It wasn’t until close to noon that Liu Fuyuan saw the Emperor walking out from Prince Jing’s residence.

Moreover, the little emperor’s walking posture looked awkward, and if one were to insist, it seemed like a little duck, hobbling along with a limp.

As one ages, it’s easy to overthink things. To ensure a good night’s sleep and peace of mind, Liu Fuyuan quickly expelled all thoughts from his mind.

‘You are a block of tofu,
You are a block of tofu,
You are a block of tofu,
Tofu has no brain,
So, you have no brain,
You’ve seen nothing, you know nothing.’

Having successfully self-hypnotized, Liu Fuyuan hurriedly rushed to the palace gate and ran to support the Emperor.

However, at that moment, a loud “clang!” echoed as He Heng strode out of the palace, and as he passed by Wen Liangyu, he effortlessly scooped him up into his arms.

Liu Fuyuan and the attendants stood there dumbfounded, frozen like statues.

Liu Fuyuan’s tofu brain was buzzing, and at this moment, he had only one thought:

‘Is this a scene I’ll frequently witness in the future? Should I start getting used to it now?’

However, when they snapped out of their daze, they realized that the Emperor, who had always been dignified and solemn in public, didn’t loudly protest being carried by a man. Instead, he buried his head in the other man’s neck, blushing, and whispered a few words in the man’s ear, seemingly expressing that such behavior was inappropriate.

After hearing those words, He Heng not only didn’t stop his original actions but also quirked his mouth, with a hint of a smile playing on his lips and in his eyes. The Emperor blushed deeply and dared not utter a word.

The attendants, witnessing this scene, didn’t dare to say another word. They pretended to be like statues, silently watching as the regent carried their monarch all the way to the sedan chair.

Meanwhile, Liu Fuyuan kept trying to convince himself in his mind that there was nothing wrong with this. After all, the imperial harem had been empty for a long time, and having an empress in Wei Dynasty wouldn’t be a bad thing.

It turned out that this empress seemed a bit “sturdy”.

After Wang Jingyuan’s plot was exposed, He Heng immediately ordered his men to surround the Wang residence. He could tolerate continuous remonstrances, but he absolutely couldn’t accept the clandestine schemes against Wen Liangyu.

Moreover, deceiving the monarch and committing such serious offenses was a major crime. Regardless of any previous merits, just this charge alone was enough for a person to lose their head.

In the end, considering the contributions of Wang Jingyuan’s ancestors to Wei Dynasty, Wen Liangyu stripped him of his official position, demoted him to a commoner, and sentenced him to a lifetime exile on a distant island. His descendants were also prohibited from returning to the capital for the next ten years.

Seizing the opportunity, he also deposed the entire harem. Although the courtiers vehemently protested, at this point, both military and political power were concentrated in his hands. Wen Liangyu was no longer the puppet emperor, and the courtiers’ protests were ultimately silently suppressed.

After the incident involving being drugged, Wen Liangyu publicly declared that he would no longer take additional consorts.

This left the ministers in a state of agitation, like ants on a hot pan. Some even lost a considerable amount of hair overnight. Later, someone suggested the idea of “each taking a step back, and the sea and sky are boundless”.

If the emperor only wanted to keep one empress and practice monogamy, they thought it wouldn’t be a problem. However, in their eyes, the future empress was nowhere to be seen, and everyone was concerned that the young emperor would end up widowed.

Oh no, not widowed for life, right?

Then, where would the future heir to the throne come from?

If things continued like this, Great Wei might face a succession crisis.

While everyone in the court was in a state of chaos,

Liu Fuyuan, who always stood silently on the side, was crystal clear in his heart, like a clear mirror. This “empress” of theirs seemed far away, but in reality, she was within arm’s reach, and not looking at her was fine, but a glance could be startling.

Thinking about this, he sighed helplessly and tucked his hands into the wide sleeves.

But it would be better if these ministers remained unaware. Otherwise, those with low tolerance might just faint on the spot.

As the severe cold passed, in the blink of an eye, the season of the beginning of spring arrived.

The weather in the capital and across the country began to warm up. With the arrival of spring, the gentle breeze swept through, causing willow trees along the banks of rivers in Jiangnan to sprout new tender branches. The envoys stationed in Jiangnan brought good news for Wen Liangyu.

Since the establishment of Wei Dynasty, the coastal regions of Jiangnan had long suffered from the harassment of Wokou pirates. However, recently, the coastal defense structures in Jiangnan were finally completed.

Upon hearing that the maritime defenses, which had been under construction for years and initiated during the reign of the previous emperor to fend off Wokou pirates, were finally finished, Wen Liangyu decided to personally embark on a southern inspection tour.

One reason was that since he ascended the throne, Wei Dynasty had finally emerged from years of continuous warfare. With stability prevailing on all fronts and the people’s hearts at peace, it was an opportune time for a southern inspection tour. The second reason was to inspect the river works and coastal defenses and, incidentally, to understand the local sentiments.

After the morning court session, Wen Liangyu contemplated how to inform He Heng of this decision while on his way to Prince Jing’s residence.

In truth, there was a small personal desire behind this southern tour. He had often heard of the prosperity and beautiful scenery in the Jiangnan region. There were many delicious foods and interesting things to experience. It seemed like a good idea to explore the area together with He Heng.

In the teahouse, there were silver-thread noodles cut as thin as paper wings and xiaolongbao with mouthfuls of flavorful broth. The city had excavated canals, making water transportation highly developed, connecting to large freshwater lakes. In the evening, one could even boat on the lake or go mountain climbing. Speaking of which, there were bamboo shoots to be dug on the mountains, and the spring water there was particularly sweet.

Wait a minute,

In a trance, Wen Liangyu realized that his thoughts had wandered off to who knows where, to the extent that not even eight horses could bring them back.

Why, whenever he thought of He Heng, was his mind filled with thoughts of food and fun?

Something’s not right, not right, not right.

The young emperor sat in the carriage, gently shaking his head, trying to dismiss these thoughts. He reassured himself in his mind continuously,

‘You are going to do important business, playing is just incidental.’

‘You are going to play, doing important business is just incidental.’

Darn it!

In the end, the self-hypnosis failed, and the resigned young emperor jumped down from the sedan chair, eagerly running to He Heng’s study, ready to deliver the news to him.

As Wen Liangyu approached the door of the study, he waved off the attendants, wanting to enter quietly and surprise He Heng.

However, when he pushed the door open, the study was empty without a trace of He Heng.

Although the writing materials on the desk were still spread out and the incense burner was lit, the young emperor searched inside for quite a while but couldn’t find He Heng anywhere.

Wen Liangyu felt a bit puzzled.

Where could He Heng have gone?

With that thought, he boldly stepped inside. Just as the young emperor set foot inside, a long and powerful hand suddenly embraced his waist. In the next moment, the other person pressed down on him, and Wen Liangyu, under the force of the motion, involuntarily tilted backward, letting out a surprised exclamation.

“Uh!”

The next second,

A faint scent of sandalwood and the familiar scent of a man wafted in front of him.

He Heng pinned the young emperor against the door panel, his hand exploring along the wide sleeves, causing the latter to slightly shrink back.

He said, “Ayu, what are you sneakily doing? Are you trying to surprise me?”

The young emperor reached up, his hand climbing the man’s neck, and the wide sleeves retreated, revealing his fair and clean skin.

Thinking of giving someone a surprise but instead getting startled himself, the embarrassed young emperor buried his face in He Heng’s neck. A faint blush adorned his earlobes and the back of his neck.

“You’re the one who scared me, hiding behind the door like that!”

At his words, He Heng’s smile deepened. He lowered his head and rubbed against the tip of the other’s nose. “Clearly, it’s you, Ayu, who didn’t hide well. Your movements were too loud; I heard you coming from a mile away.”

“Mmm,”

Wen Liangyu found that he couldn’t sidestep the topic and decided to steer the conversation to more serious matters.

“Just now, during the morning court session, the envoys stationed in the Jiangnan region reported that the coastal defense project has been completed. So, I’ve decided to go on a southern inspection tour in a few days.”

“You—”

Just as he was struggling with how to broach the subject of wanting He Heng to accompany him,

“Oh,”

He Heng directly interrupted him, “Now that Your Majesty has abolished the harem and has no one to accompany you at night, it must be lonely. How about taking me along this time? I can alleviate your boredom at night.”

“You…” The young emperor felt both embarrassed and annoyed upon hearing these words, and his face turned even redder. He lightly patted He Heng’s back with his hand.

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

He Heng immediately caught his hand, pulling him into his embrace. “Isn’t it true?”

“Ayu, look, you don’t give me a title, nor do you bestow rewards upon me. Yet, I willingly follow you. Can you find a second person in the world like me?”

Ever since they established their relationship, He Heng’s skill in talking nonsense had grown, and now he could effortlessly come up with such remarks.

No matter how many times Wen Liangyu faced such remarks, he always found it a bit challenging. He had thin skin, and whenever He Heng opened his mouth like this, he couldn’t help blushing and feeling a bit flustered.

Now, to prevent He Heng from continuing with his nonsense, Wen Liangyu quickly interrupted him, “What… What do you want?”

If He Heng really wanted anything as a reward, anything Wen Liangyu had, he could give; even if he didn’t have it, he could try to obtain it.

But to his surprise, after hearing this, He Heng became even more audacious,

“I see Your Majesty’s harem is still vacant. How about… appointing an empress?”

He said that purely to tease Wen Liangyu; He Heng enjoyed seeing the young emperor’s flustered reactions. Now that he had enough fun, He Heng stood up, tidied his robes, and was about to release the other when he heard a soft voice beneath him say, “Well… it’s not impossible.”

He Heng was momentarily stunned, then he lowered his head to look at the now blushing face of the young emperor. He immediately understood.

Why did the young emperor take his words seriously?

“Your Majesty is serious?”

After a brief silence, a soft response echoed in the room,

“Mm.”

After arriving in Jiangnan,

The local governors and officials promptly reported to Wen Liangyu about the recent situation in the Jiangnan region, including the conditions of the people, the state of the officials, annual grain production, and tax collection. They then showcased the river works they had undertaken to prevent floods on several important waterways.

After a comprehensive review, Wen Liangyu was quite satisfied with the situation. Following discussions with the local governor, they decided to embark on a sea inspection of the coastal defenses in the coming days.

With this schedule set, Wen Liangyu had a rare day of leisure before boarding the ship, allowing him to freely plan his activities.

On that morning,

As Liu Fuyuan entered Wen Liangyu’s bedroom to assist him with dressing and washing,

Upon pushing the door open, he found both windows wide open and the bed completely empty, with only traces of where someone had slept but no sign of the young emperor.

On the nearby table, there was a note signed by the Regent, and it read,

“I will borrow Your Majesty’s time for a day.”

As a result of He Heng’s diligent practice of calligraphy in recent months, the words appeared graceful and elegant.

However, at this moment, Liu Fuyuan felt like he was floating—not the pleasant “floating” up in the sky, but the kind of floating that made him want to cry without tears. Holding the note, he couldn’t help but wonder why everything seemed to fall onto him.

Meanwhile,

“Is this really okay?” Wen Liangyu lowered his head to glance at the casual clothes He Heng had asked him to change into this morning.

The style of the clothing wasn’t overly intricate, with a dark blue tone and simple dark patterns embroidered at the cuffs, giving it a minimalist and elegant feel. After changing into this outfit, no one could recognize the emperor, who had long resided in the imperial court. Instead, he looked more like a wealthy young gentleman.

“Do you doubt me, Ayu?” Holding his hand, He Heng chuckled and glanced back at him, weaving skillfully through the bustling crowd.

Although it appeared that only the two of them were traveling in casual clothes, He Heng had actually assigned numerous covert guards to follow them. If any disturbance occurred, they would react immediately.

In the past, whenever they went out, there would always be a large entourage behind them, and every time they reached a destination, the local officials would bow and present offerings.

In the end, most of Wen Liangyu’s time was spent socializing, and he couldn’t fully enjoy himself.

So, He Heng thought of taking advantage of today’s free time to secretly bring the young emperor out for some fun. He had planned the itinerary yesterday, intending to leave the inn just after the hour of Chen¹, then take the emperor for a boat ride, rowing directly to the other side of the lake. Afterward, they could visit a famous teahouse by the shore, order some local snacks, enjoy tea, and listen to storytelling. If they got bored, they could leave and, in the evening, explore the snack streets on both sides of the road, watch the lantern festival, and catch some performances.

However, as they walked, He Heng sensed something was amiss. The young emperor seemed rooted to the spot, and no matter how much he tried to pull him, he wouldn’t budge.

He Heng was first stunned, then he turned around and saw someone making sugar sculptures at a stall in front of Wen Liangyu.

The master making sugar sculptures displayed incredible dexterity, swiftly pulling various shapes of small animals from malt sugar—rabbits, dragons, and chickens.

Although He Heng probably grew tired of this kind of thing by the age of five or six, the young emperor, who had spent a long time in the imperial palace, had never seen such a novel plaything. For a moment, he stood motionless, staring intently at the creations.

“Do you want one?” He Heng looked at the emperor, whose eyes were shining with excitement, and chuckled with some helplessness.

Before the young emperor could react, He Heng approached the sugar sculptor and bought a small rabbit, which he then handed to Wen Liangyu.

As he was suddenly handed the sugar sculpture, Wen Liangyu appeared somewhat embarrassed.

If people were to find out that the emperor of Wei Dynasty was captivated by a sugar sculpture on the street and couldn’t walk properly, wouldn’t that be quite embarrassing?

Thinking of this, he leaned against He Heng’s chest, blocking his face, and whispered, “I was just looking. I’m not a child.”

The next moment, He Heng laughed and pinched his cheek. “Ayu is still a child.”

Then he looked at the blushing face of the young emperor and added, “You’re still young. You can do whatever you want.”

The rabbit-shaped sugar sculpture was not too big, just a small one. Wen Liangyu held it in his hand and examined it for a while. Eventually, he took a small bite to taste the flavor.

After one bite, his mouth was filled with a sweet and mellow malt sugar taste, pleasant and refreshing. The flavor was quite good. After a few bites, Wen Liangyu handed the sugar sculpture to He Heng and said, “Do you want to try a bite too?”

He Heng didn’t say anything. He simply took the sugar sculpture from Wen Liangyu’s hand and brought it to his mouth. “Crunch! Crunch!” With two big bites, the intact little rabbit instantly turned into pieces, disappearing in no time.

“Alright,” He Heng said. After throwing the bamboo stick in his hand into a nearby trash bin, he continued, “Let’s go.”

Wen Liangyu, still somewhat in disbelief after witnessing the sugar sculpture disappear in two bites, stood there dazed. He was led forward by He Heng, hand in hand.

After walking down the street for a while, He Heng completely gave up on the plan he made last night. He realized that the little emperor, no matter where they went, would pause to look around and couldn’t take his eyes off interesting things.

He Heng couldn’t help but think in his heart,

Why is he like a child, wanting everything.

However, despite He Heng’s thoughts, whenever they encountered something that caught Wen Liangyu’s interest or curiosity, He Heng would readily buy it. After all, the purpose of this outing was to make the other happy, and whether or not they followed the plan didn’t matter.

By the evening, the two hadn’t gone to the lakeside for boating. Instead, they climbed a hill. The guards, initially assigned to ensure the emperor’s safety, had now become baggage carriers for them.

On the mountain at night, a cool breeze rustled through, and both sides of the stone-paved path were adorned with dense bamboo. When the mountain wind blew, a faint and tranquil bamboo fragrance wafted through the air.

The two ascended the winding stone-paved path, and in Little Emperor’s hand was a freshly made candied hawthorn.

Having left early in the morning and spent the entire day outdoors, the Little Emperor began to feel a bit tired as they walked. He Heng decided to pull him to sit on a higher ground by the side of the path.

By this time, night had silently descended, and when they looked up, a myriad of fireflies lit up the sky.

Leaning against He Heng’s embrace, Little Emperor smiled as he offered the candied hawthorn to He Heng’s lips.

“Is this for me?” Seeing this, He Heng raised an eyebrow, teasing, “I didn’t know Your Majesty had become so generous. You’re willing to let me taste your favorite candied hawthorn first?”

With that, he didn’t give Little Emperor any time to react. He Heng quickly took a bite directly from the emperor’s hand, savoring the sweet and tangy flavors that filled his mouth.

However, the next moment, Little Emperor didn’t bite into the candied hawthorn. Instead, he reached out and embraced He Heng’s neck, leaning into his chest to lick the sugar stains on his lips.

Feeling the warmth between their lips, He Heng was momentarily stunned. He then held onto the emperor’s delicate waist, smiling as he leaned in to bite his lip.

With this back-and-forth, the atmosphere between the two became increasingly charged.

A muffled sound echoed as the candied hawthorn in Little Emperor’s hand unknowingly dropped to the ground. His gaze instinctively shifted towards it, but He Heng immediately pulled him back.

This time, the man’s warm lips completely covered his own.

Leaning against He Heng’s chest, Little Emperor had only one thought in his mind:

If only He Heng were his own.

To have him always by his side, he even felt an irrational possessiveness, wanting to keep He Heng hidden away in the depths of his palace gardens, away from the eyes of others.

“Mmm~”

However, in that moment of distraction, he was completely overwhelmed by the other party. He Heng entwined his soft tongue, kissing him until he could hardly catch his breath.

In the end, the Little Emperor blushed, gasping for air as he leaned against Hegong’s chest. The candied hawthorn was gone, and his lips were swollen from the passionate kisses.

He Heng held him from behind, resting his chin on Little Emperor’s head for a while.

By the time He Heng and Little Emperor returned to the inn, it was nearly midnight.

Seeing that the emperor had finally returned, Liu Fuyuan was almost moved to tears and would have knelt down in gratitude if he weren’t so restrained. He hurried forward to check if anything had happened to the emperor or if he was injured.

After he regained his composure, Liu Fuyuan noticed the large and small packages carried by the guards following them, all of which seemed to contain local specialties and various handicrafts.

He glanced at the guards, then turned his attention to the one standing behind, calmly sipping tea, who was referred to as the “Empress”. Internally, he couldn’t help but feel bitter.

On the face of He Heng, there was a line of characters that seemed to say,

‘What’s there to worry about? Haven’t I brought him back perfectly for you?’

Liu Fuyuan’s face instantly turned as bitter as a bitter gourd. He couldn’t help but wonder if his future days would be spent in constant worry and fear.

After the Emperor returned, the accompanying personnel quickly organized themselves and immediately set off to board the ships heading to the coastal defense projects.

Although local officials had meticulously checked and confirmed that the route was safe, for the Emperor’s safety, they decided to depart on a relatively inconspicuous night to guard against any sudden attacks by pirates.

The entire fleet was composed of a core ship and dozens of patrol ships, presenting a grand spectacle. It was expected to arrive at the coastal defense projects on the front line by the second day’s Chen hour.

From now until sunrise, the time was designated for rest.

However, at this moment, Emperor Wen Liangyu was not resting in his chamber; instead, he was being held against the door by He Heng in an intimate embrace.

“Umm~”

Not only did the young emperor not resist the advances, but he also appeared particularly indulgent, reaching up to the man’s neck and tilting his head to engage in a kiss.

Since the incident with the drugged drink, Wen Liangyu seldom returned to the Hall of Nurturing Harmony at night. Most of his time was spent lodging in the residence of Prince Jing.

Perhaps due to the recent establishment of their relationship, this period seemed exceptionally tender, and they were unwilling to be apart day or night.

In the blink of an eye, He Heng skillfully undid Wen Liangyu’s belt.

The belt was casually tossed to the ground.

“Ah!”

Just at that moment,

The Emperor’s lips were bitten by He Heng again. For some reason, He Heng, like an aggressive big dog, often liked to bite him. And he could only tilt his head to kiss while attempting to undress the man, but it took a long time without success.

Apparently, no matter how many times they went through this, Wen Liangyu still couldn’t skillfully navigate the structure of the man’s clothes. In the end, unable to endure it any longer, He Heng reached out and removed his own upper garment, then casually tossed it out of the window.

“Mmm~”

This directly dumbfounded the young emperor. He paused his previous actions, leaning on the other’s shoulder, and awkwardly said, “He Heng, we’re on a boat now. What do we do if you throw your clothes into the sea?”

At this point, who cared about such things?

Inside or outside the window, in the sea or not?

Could it be stopped at this moment?

Thinking about this, He Heng turned the emperor’s face and continued kissing his lips, his breath becoming somewhat heavy.

“Who cares, we’ll have someone bring in a new one tomorrow morning.”

The next moment, there was a series of knocking on the door, and the door panels resounded with a “clang! clang! clang!” sound.

Upon hearing this, both of them paused, then heard someone say, “Your Majesty, just now there was a report from the front that the left wing spotted Japanese pirate ships, and the fleet is under attack. Please leave this room quickly.”

Emperor Wen Liangyu: “!”

He Heng: “…”

Suddenly, there was an urge in their hearts to thank the other’s entire family.

After waiting for a few moments outside the door, Liu Fuyuan finally opened it. There, he saw the slightly blushing emperor and the regent prince, who emerged from the room without wearing a shirt.

Liu Fuyuan’s terrified gaze slowly traveled up from the other’s abdominal muscles, following the lines to the collarbone. Soon, he met a pair of deep and profound eyes.

“Have you seen enough?”

“If you have, then find me some clothes.”

Author’s note: This incident reminds us that protecting the marine ecosystem is everyone’s responsibility.