Usually, the Jing Wang mansion was dark after ten o’clock, but today, it was still brightly lit even when Xiao Chengjun and Lou Jing arrived after gallivanting around the lantern-lit Fugui Street. Xiao Chengjun’s heart dropped into his stomach, and he strode into the residence quickly.
“Where’s your Wang ye?” Lou Jing asked urgently, grabbing hold of the guard at the door.
“Wang ye is in the house,” the guard said, confused. He didn’t know why these two people looked so anxious.
Lou Jing relaxed a little and followed Xiao Chengjun into the main residence.
The Empress cared deeply for Jing Wang, and had ordered that dilong underloor heating be installed throughout the whole palace. As such, the study, the bedroom, the bathroom and even the storerooms all had the dilong installed. The only place that didn’t have it was the open-air garden. Coal was kept burning in the dilong all day and all night, and the residence was much warmer than the outside as a result.
Laughter could be heard wafting out of the main hall, and the outlines of a few people could be seen standing in the room. Only now did Xiao Chengjun exhale in relief. He paused and stood in the corridor for a few moments.
“I knew there wouldn’t be anything wrong. Don’t scare yourself,” Lou Jing said, patting his back comfortingly and feeling his heart ache a little. Xiao Chengjun had been walking on eggshells all his life – how had the little Chengjun dealt with it as a young child, especially in that year when his younger brother had been poisoned?
Xiao Chengjun nodded slightly. Xiao Chengjin was showing signs of improvement, and he told himself he shouldn’t be overly anxious.
“Is that my gege I hear?” Xiao Chengjin’s warm, pleasant voice sounded from inside the house.
Xiao Chengjun and Lou Jing exchanged a smile, then pushed open the door and went inside. At the time the dilong was installed, the doors had also been changed to a set of double doors, meaning that to enter the house, one had to pass through two sets of doors. They had done this because they were afraid that the cold air outside would harm Xiao Chengjin’s health. They waited for the maid stationed at the first door to close it before pushing open the second inner door and entering the house.
The dilong made the interior of the house warm and toasty, so much so that Lou Jing broke out in sweat the moment he entered. Some maids came over to take their outer clothing, and he felt much better after that.
Xiao Chengjin wore a set of pale blue robes and a snow white silk outer layer. He stood in the centre of the main hall, smiling merrily at them.
The pale blue Qinwang robes looked cold and stiff on Xiao Chengjun, but on Xiao Chengjin, they looked calm and ascetic.
“Greetings to Da Bo and to the Shizi,” Madam Zhang said, smiling in a reserved manner. “Wang ye is in high spirits today, and we were just guessing lantern riddles. I’m sorry if we caused Da Bo any worry.”
“No matter,” Xiao Chengjun said. It wasn’t polite for him to say too much to his brother’s wife, and so he just waved his hands to show that he didn’t take it to heart at all.
Lou Jing stepped forward to return her greeting. “Wang Fei really shouldn’t be so polite to me. If the Imperial Censor saw it, he would definitely come after me,” he said.
Madam Zhang hid a smile behind her sleeve, then took her leave with her maids as propriety required.
“Gjv… Gjvvs…” C mtlivlrt nblmf jaagjmafv Wljb Jtfcupec jcv Obe Alcu’r jaafcalbc. Pa kjr bcis atfc atja atfs rjk j ilaaif ofiibk mgjkilcu bc atf atlmx ubja oeg wjar atja mjgqfafv atf oibbg. Ktf ilaaif ues kjr meggfcais qeiilcu bc Wljb Jtfcuplc’r gbyfr jcv agslcu ab rajcv eq.
“Oh, Rui’er knows how to say ‘Daddy’ now?” Lou Jing said, smiling gaily as he scooted closer to the child.
Xiao Chengjin smiled and reached out to tousle the little child’s hairy head. He slowly sat down on the carpets, and Rui’er wriggled into his father’s arms.
The nanny quickly reached out to take the child away, afraid that he would injure the Wang ye.
“Don’t worry, leave the child here,” Lou Jing said. He found the little child very fun to play with. He lifted his robes and sat down next to Xiao Chengjin, then clapped his hands gently to attract his attention. “Rui’er, c’mere.”
The little child started giggling as he crawled towards Lou Jing and wriggled into his arms. He pulled on the silk ribbons that were attached to his guan and looked up at him. “Daddy!” he said happily.
“He only knows how to say this one word, so he calls everyone ‘Daddy’,” Xiao Chengjin explained, grinning as he motioned his gege over to sit beside him. “The floor is nice and warm. It’s even more comfortable than sitting on a chair. Make yourself at home – there are no strangers here anyway.”
Xiao Chengjun looked at the three fellows who were sitting on the floor without any regard for etiquette whatsoever, and ended up sitting down helplessly as well.
“Daddy…” Rui’er said, looking at his Da Bo. He immediately climbed out of Lou Jing’s arms and crawled toward Xiao Chengjun. He leaned the top half of his small body against Xiao Chengjun’s knee, then opened his mouth to gnaw at it.
Xiao Chengjun didn’t pay any attention to Rui’er. He took out the lotus flower lantern and gave it to his didi. “Bought this at the lantern shop earlier,” he said.
He didn’t say anything after that.
Lou Jing pressed his lips together in a faint smile. This fellow didn’t even say who bought it or whom it was for. He was about to help Xiao Chengjun explain when Xiao Chengjin accepted the lantern and spoke. “Gege still remembers that I wanted this lantern,” he said.
The two brothers were silent for a while.
“Dwaddie…” Rui’er said, his words distorted because he was biting on Xiao Chengjun’s robes. Drool dribbled down the side of his mouth and made a little wet patch on Xiao Chengjun’s clothes.
Xiao Chengjun couldn’t help smiling. He reached out and stroked the little guy’s head.
Jing Wang’s little prince was an adorable, fair-skinned, chubby little creature. When he felt his Da Bo’s hand on his head, he released the clothes from his mouth and shook his head, crawling up Xiao Chengjun’s legs. Xiao Chengjun froze, not knowing what to do with this flimsy-looking child, and the warm, chubby little bundle had already climbed into his arms by the time he came to.
“Dianxia, you’re looking better these days,” Lou Jing said to Xiao Chengjin. He was very amused by his husband’s reaction to the child and deliberately refused to go over to help, chatting with Xiao Chengjin instead.
Xiao Chengjin smiled at Lou Jing. “I was able to live on for a while more thanks to the doctor Saosao introduced,” he said.
Even though the Crown Prince had already been deposed, this younger brother had not changed the way he addressed Lou Jing, and still called him Saosao as before.
“The Imperial Physicians like to exaggerate the patient’s condition. The barefoot doctors in the villages are more upfront,” Lou Jing said. He didn’t correct Jing Wang when he addressed him as Saosao, and in fact acted as if it were a perfectly natural thing to do.
“If I can still hold on, I will be able to help gege,” Xiao Chengjin said, reaching out a hand that was so pale that it was almost translucent. He picked up the lotus flower lantern to play with. The lantern was just a simple one made of bamboo strips and coloured paper, and wasn’t anything particularly exquisite, but to him, it looked more beautiful than the ornate glass lanterns in the palace which were worth thousands of taels of gold.
“You shouldn’t…” Xiao Chengjun began. He was unable to finish his sentence; Rui’er knocked into him and he lost his balance, falling backward towards the floor.
Lou Jing had lightning fast reflexes, and he caught hold of Xiao Chengjun before he made contact with the ground. “Wang ye, I’m certain that you will live to a hundred. Chengjun is going to Minzhou in the second month, and will need your help to look after things in the Capital,” he said. He pinched Xiao Chengjun’s waist lightly as he said this.
Xiao Chengjin’s good-looking eyes suddenly brightened, and he looked toward his gege expectantly.
Xiao Chengjun stared blankly at Lou Jing for a moment. He always felt that his brother shouldn’t worry about state affairs as his body was weak, but it was true that Xiao Chengjin had always wanted to make himself useful to him. That was why he had spent so much time and effort on creating that list of the people in the Minister of the Right’s faction. Lou Jing was highlighting to him that giving his brother a purpose in life might actually have a more beneficial effect on his recovery than just giving him some empty words of comfort.
“The Southeast is a great distance from the Capital, and there are many mountains in between. If you’re looking after things in the Capital, I would certainly feel more secure, especially as the Fourth Prince has now gone to Jinzhou to battle the Tartars…” Xiao Chengjun passed the child in his arms to the nanny and thought for a moment before speaking. “In two days, I’ll come and discuss strategies with you.”
As expected, the moment Xiao Chengjun said this, Xiao Chengjin’s eyes became as bright as stars in the night sky.
Xiao Chengjun felt rather guilty and regretful as left the Jing Wang residence. All these years, had he been showing his concern for his younger brother in a counterproductive manner?
“My grandfather said that if a sick person thinks that his ailment is minor, he’ll get well very quickly; if everyone around him says that his days are numbered, then he’ll really be gone in a matter of days,” Lou Jing said softly, pulling the silent person lying next to him in bed into his arms. This was also why he had gotten angry when he saw Xiao Chengjin’s butler’s long face when they went to Changchun Manor before the New Year.
“Really?” Xiao Chengjun said, leaning against Lou Jing’s chest. He felt unusually at peace listening to Lou Jing’s strong heartbeat.
“Actually, when I was six years old, the Imperial Physicians all said my mother didn’t have much longer to live,” Lou Jing said, putting his chin on Xiao Chengjun’s head and nuzzling him. “Grandpa chased all the Imperial Physicians out of the Anguo Gong residence, saying that my mother had only caught a cold, and made her get up early to practice martial arts with me.”
At that time, the old Anguo Gong had made Lou Jing strike the horse-riding stance whilst he got his daughter-in-law to run laps around the large rock installation in the garden. Lou Jing’s mother had also been born into a family that held a military peerage, and she understood what the old Anguo Gong was trying to do. She didn’t find this embarrassing at all, and after following the old Anguo Gong’s prescription, she somehow managed to live another five or six years.
Xiao Chengjun reached out and wrapped his arms tightly around Lou Jing’s body. He felt so lucky to have this person as his husband. Lou Jing had not only saved the didi he treasured so much, but had also warmed his cold, lonely heart. So long as Lou Jing was by his side, he wouldn’t be afraid, not even if he were facing unbeatable odds.
Xiao Chengjin, whom the Imperial Physicians had said wouldn’t live past the New Year, was still alive and kicking at the end of the first lunar month. The Empress was overjoyed, and made a personal visit to the Jing Wang mansion.
The Imperial officials who were all worrying themselves silly over the issue of who to appoint as the next Crown Prince were now suddenly reminded that there was another noble Wang ye available to fill that position – one who had been known to be of outstanding intellect since he was a little boy, in fact. The rumours held that he could read by the time he was three and write poems by the time he was five. Now that his health had taken a turn for the better, the Imperial officials’ attention was all focused on him.
“Did that barefoot doctor return to Jinzhou to spend the New Year?” Ji Zhuo asked. He had summoned Xiao Chengjun to the Fengyi Palace, and he now threw a sword at Xiao Chengjun’s feet. “Bring him here to the Capital and appoint him as an Imperial Physician.”
Xiao Chengjun was due to leave for the Southeastern regions anytime now, and the Empress was very worried about his safety, so he often summoned Xiao Chengjun to his palace to practice his swordsmanship.
Xiao Chengjun picked up the sword and bowed respectfully. “That barefoot doctor isn’t very literate, and he only knows some traditional remedies. It would be very difficult to justify his appointment, and anyway, if he knew of Xiao Chengjin’s status as an Imperial prince, he would probably be afraid to continue treating him,” he said.
Ji Zhuo nodded. He understood what Xiao Chengjun was saying. If the barefoot doctor knew the truth and started being overly careful about the treatment he prescribed, he would be no better than the Imperial Physicians, and that would actually harm Xiao Chengjin instead of helping him. “Fine. I suppose we can just give him a bit more money for now. When Chengjin is fully recovered, we’ll talk about giving him a more suitable reward,” he said.
“Certainly,” Xiao Chengjun said. He gripped the hilt and unsheathed the sword.
The Empress didn’t bother saying any more. He unsheathed the Scarlet Cloud, turned gracefully and attacked.
The pirates were attacking the Southeast again, and the Minzhou Prefectural Governor couldn’t repel them effectively. He sent a missive pleading with the Imperial Court for reinforcements, and Min Wang’s journey to his fief could no longer be put off.
Xiao Chengjun had refused to talk about the fact that he was leaving. He was very reluctant to separate from Lou Jing, but now that things in the Capital were in order, he couldn’t delay his departure any more, and as such, he sent in a submission to the Emperor, asking to be given permission to leave for the Southeast.
Meanwhile, the Chunde Emperor was thinking about building a summer palace in which to hide from the summer heat, and the plans that the Ministry of Works submitted were very lavish and extravagant. Building it would require a large sum of silver.
“Your Majesty, now that you’re taking the Immortality Pills, you’ll live for thousands and thousands of years. It will be very difficult to endure the unbearable heat of a thousand summers, and it’s only appropriate for you to build a place of rest and relaxation that the world has never seen before. In the summer, you can make this summer palace your primary residence, and when the weather is cooler, you can return to the Imperial palace. If you think this is a good idea, then you shouldn’t skimp on the silver that’s to be spent on building this palace,” Shen Lian said, smiling as he said all this with a glib tongue.
A smile touched the Chunde Emperor’s face as he thought about those Immortality Pills. He had eaten one over the New Year, and he’d felt a lot younger after taking it. When he heard Shen Lian mention this, he couldn’t help feeling proud and triumphant. He nodded, agreeing to the extravagant plans for the summer palace.
Lou Jing was kept busy discussing the plans for the summer palace with Shen Lian until the twelfth day of the second lunar month, when they finally nailed down their agreement.
Now that the matter was settled, Lou Jing was finally able to take a breather. The money he made from the salt trade in Jiangnan was being sent to him in batches, and it was likely that he would be able to re-invest his returns from the salt trade in the summer palace construction. He worked until very late at night during this time, and because he was worried that he would wake Xiao Chengjun if he went to the Min Wang residence, he went back to Zhuque Hall to sleep. Now that he finally managed to make it to the Min Wang mansion, he naturally had to press his husband down on the soft bed and rekindle their affections.
“Does that Immortality Pill actually work?” Lou Jing asked, repeatedly nuzzling against Xiao Chengjun until he was satisfied. He then nestled into Xiao Chengjun’s arms and started talking about serious matters.
Xiao Chengjun saw that Lou Jing was extremely busy these days, and he found it difficult to bring up the issue of his impending departure. He pressed his lips together and stroked Lou Jing’s silky hair gently. “Of course it works. I heard that Father Emperor summoned his concubines to his chambers every night over the New Year period.”
One side of Lou Jing’s lips lifted in a lopsided grin. That Immortality Pill was probably nothing more than a strong aphrodisiac that worked on a certain part of the male anatomy, and the Chunde Emperor likely felt younger than he had in years because his stamina in bed had improved greatly after consuming his pill.
“Today, I received my Father Emperor’s reply regarding my departure to Minzhou,” Xiao Chengjun said. The person in his arms looked up and met his gaze, and he sighed softly. “I leave on the first day of the third month.
Usually, the Jing Wang mansion was dark after ten o’clock, but today, it was still brightly lit even when Xiao Chengjun and Lou Jing arrived after gallivanting around the lantern-lit Fugui Street. Xiao Chengjun’s heart dropped into his stomach, and he strode into the residence quickly.
“Where’s your Wang ye?” Lou Jing asked urgently, grabbing hold of the guard at the door.
“Wang ye is in the house,” the guard said, confused. He didn’t know why these two people looked so anxious.
Lou Jing relaxed a little and followed Xiao Chengjun into the main residence.
The Empress cared deeply for Jing Wang, and had ordered that dilong underloor heating be installed throughout the whole palace. As such, the study, the bedroom, the bathroom and even the storerooms all had the dilong installed. The only place that didn’t have it was the open-air garden. Coal was kept burning in the dilong all day and all night, and the residence was much warmer than the outside as a result.
Laughter could be heard wafting out of the main hall, and the outlines of a few people could be seen standing in the room. Only now did Xiao Chengjun exhale in relief. He paused and stood in the corridor for a few moments.
“I knew there wouldn’t be anything wrong. Don’t scare yourself,” Lou Jing said, patting his back comfortingly and feeling his heart ache a little. Xiao Chengjun had been walking on eggshells all his life – how had the little Chengjun dealt with it as a young child, especially in that year when his younger brother had been poisoned?
Xiao Chengjun nodded slightly. Xiao Chengjin was showing signs of improvement, and he told himself he shouldn’t be overly anxious.
“Is that my gege I hear?” Xiao Chengjin’s warm, pleasant voice sounded from inside the house.
Xiao Chengjun and Lou Jing exchanged a smile, then pushed open the door and went inside. At the time the dilong was installed, the doors had also been changed to a set of double doors, meaning that to enter the house, one had to pass through two sets of doors. They had done this because they were afraid that the cold air outside would harm Xiao Chengjin’s health. They waited for the maid stationed at the first door to close it before pushing open the second inner door and entering the house.
The dilong made the interior of the house warm and toasty, so much so that Lou Jing broke out in sweat the moment he entered. Some maids came over to take their outer clothing, and he felt much better after that.
Xiao Chengjin wore a set of pale blue robes and a snow white silk outer layer. He stood in the centre of the main hall, smiling merrily at them.
The pale blue Qinwang robes looked cold and stiff on Xiao Chengjun, but on Xiao Chengjin, they looked calm and ascetic.
“Greetings to Da Bo and to the Shizi,” Madam Zhang said, smiling in a reserved manner. “Wang ye is in high spirits today, and we were just guessing lantern riddles. I’m sorry if we caused Da Bo any worry.”
“No matter,” Xiao Chengjun said. It wasn’t polite for him to say too much to his brother’s wife, and so he just waved his hands to show that he didn’t take it to heart at all.
Lou Jing stepped forward to return her greeting. “Wang Fei really shouldn’t be so polite to me. If the Imperial Censor saw it, he would definitely come after me,” he said.
Madam Zhang hid a smile behind her sleeve, then took her leave with her maids as propriety required.
“Gjv… Gjvvs…” C mtlivlrt nblmf jaagjmafv Wljb Jtfcupec jcv Obe Alcu’r jaafcalbc. Pa kjr bcis atfc atja atfs rjk j ilaaif ofiibk mgjkilcu bc atf atlmx ubja oeg wjar atja mjgqfafv atf oibbg. Ktf ilaaif ues kjr meggfcais qeiilcu bc Wljb Jtfcuplc’r gbyfr jcv agslcu ab rajcv eq.
“Oh, Rui’er knows how to say ‘Daddy’ now?” Lou Jing said, smiling gaily as he scooted closer to the child.
Xiao Chengjin smiled and reached out to tousle the little child’s hairy head. He slowly sat down on the carpets, and Rui’er wriggled into his father’s arms.
The nanny quickly reached out to take the child away, afraid that he would injure the Wang ye.
“Don’t worry, leave the child here,” Lou Jing said. He found the little child very fun to play with. He lifted his robes and sat down next to Xiao Chengjin, then clapped his hands gently to attract his attention. “Rui’er, c’mere.”
The little child started giggling as he crawled towards Lou Jing and wriggled into his arms. He pulled on the silk ribbons that were attached to his guan and looked up at him. “Daddy!” he said happily.
“He only knows how to say this one word, so he calls everyone ‘Daddy’,” Xiao Chengjin explained, grinning as he motioned his gege over to sit beside him. “The floor is nice and warm. It’s even more comfortable than sitting on a chair. Make yourself at home – there are no strangers here anyway.”
Xiao Chengjun looked at the three fellows who were sitting on the floor without any regard for etiquette whatsoever, and ended up sitting down helplessly as well.
“Daddy…” Rui’er said, looking at his Da Bo. He immediately climbed out of Lou Jing’s arms and crawled toward Xiao Chengjun. He leaned the top half of his small body against Xiao Chengjun’s knee, then opened his mouth to gnaw at it.
Xiao Chengjun didn’t pay any attention to Rui’er. He took out the lotus flower lantern and gave it to his didi. “Bought this at the lantern shop earlier,” he said.
He didn’t say anything after that.
Lou Jing pressed his lips together in a faint smile. This fellow didn’t even say who bought it or whom it was for. He was about to help Xiao Chengjun explain when Xiao Chengjin accepted the lantern and spoke. “Gege still remembers that I wanted this lantern,” he said.
The two brothers were silent for a while.
“Dwaddie…” Rui’er said, his words distorted because he was biting on Xiao Chengjun’s robes. Drool dribbled down the side of his mouth and made a little wet patch on Xiao Chengjun’s clothes.
Xiao Chengjun couldn’t help smiling. He reached out and stroked the little guy’s head.
Jing Wang’s little prince was an adorable, fair-skinned, chubby little creature. When he felt his Da Bo’s hand on his head, he released the clothes from his mouth and shook his head, crawling up Xiao Chengjun’s legs. Xiao Chengjun froze, not knowing what to do with this flimsy-looking child, and the warm, chubby little bundle had already climbed into his arms by the time he came to.
“Dianxia, you’re looking better these days,” Lou Jing said to Xiao Chengjin. He was very amused by his husband’s reaction to the child and deliberately refused to go over to help, chatting with Xiao Chengjin instead.
Xiao Chengjin smiled at Lou Jing. “I was able to live on for a while more thanks to the doctor Saosao introduced,” he said.
Even though the Crown Prince had already been deposed, this younger brother had not changed the way he addressed Lou Jing, and still called him Saosao as before.
“The Imperial Physicians like to exaggerate the patient’s condition. The barefoot doctors in the villages are more upfront,” Lou Jing said. He didn’t correct Jing Wang when he addressed him as Saosao, and in fact acted as if it were a perfectly natural thing to do.
“If I can still hold on, I will be able to help gege,” Xiao Chengjin said, reaching out a hand that was so pale that it was almost translucent. He picked up the lotus flower lantern to play with. The lantern was just a simple one made of bamboo strips and coloured paper, and wasn’t anything particularly exquisite, but to him, it looked more beautiful than the ornate glass lanterns in the palace which were worth thousands of taels of gold.
“You shouldn’t…” Xiao Chengjun began. He was unable to finish his sentence; Rui’er knocked into him and he lost his balance, falling backward towards the floor.
Lou Jing had lightning fast reflexes, and he caught hold of Xiao Chengjun before he made contact with the ground. “Wang ye, I’m certain that you will live to a hundred. Chengjun is going to Minzhou in the second month, and will need your help to look after things in the Capital,” he said. He pinched Xiao Chengjun’s waist lightly as he said this.
Xiao Chengjin’s good-looking eyes suddenly brightened, and he looked toward his gege expectantly.
Xiao Chengjun stared blankly at Lou Jing for a moment. He always felt that his brother shouldn’t worry about state affairs as his body was weak, but it was true that Xiao Chengjin had always wanted to make himself useful to him. That was why he had spent so much time and effort on creating that list of the people in the Minister of the Right’s faction. Lou Jing was highlighting to him that giving his brother a purpose in life might actually have a more beneficial effect on his recovery than just giving him some empty words of comfort.
“The Southeast is a great distance from the Capital, and there are many mountains in between. If you’re looking after things in the Capital, I would certainly feel more secure, especially as the Fourth Prince has now gone to Jinzhou to battle the Tartars…” Xiao Chengjun passed the child in his arms to the nanny and thought for a moment before speaking. “In two days, I’ll come and discuss strategies with you.”
As expected, the moment Xiao Chengjun said this, Xiao Chengjin’s eyes became as bright as stars in the night sky.
Xiao Chengjun felt rather guilty and regretful as left the Jing Wang residence. All these years, had he been showing his concern for his younger brother in a counterproductive manner?
“My grandfather said that if a sick person thinks that his ailment is minor, he’ll get well very quickly; if everyone around him says that his days are numbered, then he’ll really be gone in a matter of days,” Lou Jing said softly, pulling the silent person lying next to him in bed into his arms. This was also why he had gotten angry when he saw Xiao Chengjin’s butler’s long face when they went to Changchun Manor before the New Year.
“Really?” Xiao Chengjun said, leaning against Lou Jing’s chest. He felt unusually at peace listening to Lou Jing’s strong heartbeat.
“Actually, when I was six years old, the Imperial Physicians all said my mother didn’t have much longer to live,” Lou Jing said, putting his chin on Xiao Chengjun’s head and nuzzling him. “Grandpa chased all the Imperial Physicians out of the Anguo Gong residence, saying that my mother had only caught a cold, and made her get up early to practice martial arts with me.”
At that time, the old Anguo Gong had made Lou Jing strike the horse-riding stance whilst he got his daughter-in-law to run laps around the large rock installation in the garden. Lou Jing’s mother had also been born into a family that held a military peerage, and she understood what the old Anguo Gong was trying to do. She didn’t find this embarrassing at all, and after following the old Anguo Gong’s prescription, she somehow managed to live another five or six years.
Xiao Chengjun reached out and wrapped his arms tightly around Lou Jing’s body. He felt so lucky to have this person as his husband. Lou Jing had not only saved the didi he treasured so much, but had also warmed his cold, lonely heart. So long as Lou Jing was by his side, he wouldn’t be afraid, not even if he were facing unbeatable odds.
Xiao Chengjin, whom the Imperial Physicians had said wouldn’t live past the New Year, was still alive and kicking at the end of the first lunar month. The Empress was overjoyed, and made a personal visit to the Jing Wang mansion.
The Imperial officials who were all worrying themselves silly over the issue of who to appoint as the next Crown Prince were now suddenly reminded that there was another noble Wang ye available to fill that position – one who had been known to be of outstanding intellect since he was a little boy, in fact. The rumours held that he could read by the time he was three and write poems by the time he was five. Now that his health had taken a turn for the better, the Imperial officials’ attention was all focused on him.
“Did that barefoot doctor return to Jinzhou to spend the New Year?” Ji Zhuo asked. He had summoned Xiao Chengjun to the Fengyi Palace, and he now threw a sword at Xiao Chengjun’s feet. “Bring him here to the Capital and appoint him as an Imperial Physician.”
Xiao Chengjun was due to leave for the Southeastern regions anytime now, and the Empress was very worried about his safety, so he often summoned Xiao Chengjun to his palace to practice his swordsmanship.
Xiao Chengjun picked up the sword and bowed respectfully. “That barefoot doctor isn’t very literate, and he only knows some traditional remedies. It would be very difficult to justify his appointment, and anyway, if he knew of Xiao Chengjin’s status as an Imperial prince, he would probably be afraid to continue treating him,” he said.
Ji Zhuo nodded. He understood what Xiao Chengjun was saying. If the barefoot doctor knew the truth and started being overly careful about the treatment he prescribed, he would be no better than the Imperial Physicians, and that would actually harm Xiao Chengjin instead of helping him. “Fine. I suppose we can just give him a bit more money for now. When Chengjin is fully recovered, we’ll talk about giving him a more suitable reward,” he said.
“Certainly,” Xiao Chengjun said. He gripped the hilt and unsheathed the sword.
The Empress didn’t bother saying any more. He unsheathed the Scarlet Cloud, turned gracefully and attacked.
The pirates were attacking the Southeast again, and the Minzhou Prefectural Governor couldn’t repel them effectively. He sent a missive pleading with the Imperial Court for reinforcements, and Min Wang’s journey to his fief could no longer be put off.
Xiao Chengjun had refused to talk about the fact that he was leaving. He was very reluctant to separate from Lou Jing, but now that things in the Capital were in order, he couldn’t delay his departure any more, and as such, he sent in a submission to the Emperor, asking to be given permission to leave for the Southeast.
Meanwhile, the Chunde Emperor was thinking about building a summer palace in which to hide from the summer heat, and the plans that the Ministry of Works submitted were very lavish and extravagant. Building it would require a large sum of silver.
“Your Majesty, now that you’re taking the Immortality Pills, you’ll live for thousands and thousands of years. It will be very difficult to endure the unbearable heat of a thousand summers, and it’s only appropriate for you to build a place of rest and relaxation that the world has never seen before. In the summer, you can make this summer palace your primary residence, and when the weather is cooler, you can return to the Imperial palace. If you think this is a good idea, then you shouldn’t skimp on the silver that’s to be spent on building this palace,” Shen Lian said, smiling as he said all this with a glib tongue.
A smile touched the Chunde Emperor’s face as he thought about those Immortality Pills. He had eaten one over the New Year, and he’d felt a lot younger after taking it. When he heard Shen Lian mention this, he couldn’t help feeling proud and triumphant. He nodded, agreeing to the extravagant plans for the summer palace.
Lou Jing was kept busy discussing the plans for the summer palace with Shen Lian until the twelfth day of the second lunar month, when they finally nailed down their agreement.
Now that the matter was settled, Lou Jing was finally able to take a breather. The money he made from the salt trade in Jiangnan was being sent to him in batches, and it was likely that he would be able to re-invest his returns from the salt trade in the summer palace construction. He worked until very late at night during this time, and because he was worried that he would wake Xiao Chengjun if he went to the Min Wang residence, he went back to Zhuque Hall to sleep. Now that he finally managed to make it to the Min Wang mansion, he naturally had to press his husband down on the soft bed and rekindle their affections.
“Does that Immortality Pill actually work?” Lou Jing asked, repeatedly nuzzling against Xiao Chengjun until he was satisfied. He then nestled into Xiao Chengjun’s arms and started talking about serious matters.
Xiao Chengjun saw that Lou Jing was extremely busy these days, and he found it difficult to bring up the issue of his impending departure. He pressed his lips together and stroked Lou Jing’s silky hair gently. “Of course it works. I heard that Father Emperor summoned his concubines to his chambers every night over the New Year period.”
One side of Lou Jing’s lips lifted in a lopsided grin. That Immortality Pill was probably nothing more than a strong aphrodisiac that worked on a certain part of the male anatomy, and the Chunde Emperor likely felt younger than he had in years because his stamina in bed had improved greatly after consuming his pill.
“Today, I received my Father Emperor’s reply regarding my departure to Minzhou,” Xiao Chengjun said. The person in his arms looked up and met his gaze, and he sighed softly. “I leave on the first day of the third month.
