Chapter 31
Ning Rushen keenly sensed a hint of danger, but his curiosity got the better of him.
Li Yingtang then rustled out the stack of papers.
Holding the stack of papers in front of him, Ning Rushen hesitated, feeling as if he was about to open Pandora’s box.
At that moment, Li Yingtang’s eyes lifted, and a hint of urgency appeared on his face, even using a bit of scarcity marketing:
He saw that the freshly inked pages had been stuffed into an outer robe by His Majesty Xuan.
『… Silken threads and curtains entangled, that hand caused a blur of ink and the crumpled carriage swayed, his tears flowed down as he pleaded: Spare me…』
His hand trembled, and his ears turned red with a roar—
It was actually smut! His Majesty Xuan was quite something!
Ning Rushen was greatly shaken, continuing to read further.
Just as he saw a character for “monarch,” he suddenly heard a commotion behind him. The next moment, a gust of wind passed by his ear—mingled with the startled greetings of palace attendants, “Your Majesty!”
A large hand suddenly covered his eyes from behind.
“Mm!” His vision plunged into darkness.
Ning Rushen’s heart skipped a beat, his back pressed against a familiar chest, and he heard a low, cold voice full of anger from above, “Li Yingtang!”
“…”
The paper in his hand was snatched away by someone, and Ning Rushen’s heart pounded, “Your, Your Majesty.”
What was happening? It seemed like he was caught red-handed.
After he spoke, the chest behind him seemed to calm down a bit.
Li Wuting looked down.
In the deep night, a bit of warm light from a palace lantern slanted into the pavilion, and the ear beneath his gaze was as red as vermilion, with a red mole looking even more striking.
Li Wuting released his hand.
He then coldly glared at Li Yingtang, “You have some nerve.”
Ning Rushen regained his sight and saw Li Yingtang trying to remain calm, one hand still secretly hiding the paper.
“Have I committed a crime?”
Li Wuting paused, “Disturbing the peace before the throne.”
Ning Rushen, “…”
The atmosphere in the pavilion grew even tenser. Seeing the situation deteriorate, Li Yingtang took off before Li Wuting could speak, “Ah, I just remembered I need to accompany my mother consort, I must take my leave!”
He then quickly disappeared into the night.
With Li Yingtang gone, only Ning Rushen and Li Wuting were left in the pavilion.
Ning Rushen felt a bit awkward, having been caught red-handed with smut by his superior. But glancing at Li Wuting’s expression, he seemed even more uneasy.
Suddenly, Ning Rushen recalled: Oh, Li Wuting had also read it…
So now they were smut book friends.
The air felt a bit still.
Ning Rushen softly spoke, trying to ease the tension, “Your Majesty, it’s really not a big deal…”
As soon as he started, Li Wuting looked over, his eyes deep, “You think it’s no big deal?”
Ning Rushen nodded, “Yes, quite normal.”
Li Wuting, “Quite normal?”
“…” What was wrong?
They had discussed much worse in the Twelve Forbidden Topics; this was nothing.
The two stared at each other for a moment.
Li Wuting lowered his eyes, seemingly in thought, then suddenly asked, “What exactly did you see?”
Ning Rushen was startled for a moment: Could he even say this?
He mumbled, “Just… this and that.”
Li Wuting was silent for a moment, then asked bluntly, “Did you see the protagonist’s name?”
“…There was something with ‘monarch.'”
“Just that?”
Ning Rushen leaned in, seeking clarification, “What else?”
Li Wuting scrutinized him for a moment, seeming relieved, then pushed Ning Rushen’s head back, “Nothing else. I told you to speak less with His Majesty Xuan to avoid filling your head with nonsense.”
Ning Rushen reassured, “Rest assured, Your Majesty, my mind is still completely empty.”
“…”
After a moment of speechlessness, Li Wuting’s lips twitched slightly, “Forget it. It’s fine to be empty. Tomorrow, come with me to restock.”
“?!” Ning Rushen: What???
·
The next evening.
Ning Rushen, following orders, accompanied Li Wuting to a bustling night market in the city.
It was the busiest time of the evening.
The market was festively decorated, with lion dances and dragon parades. Vendors were loudly hawking their wares, and people in new clothes with herbs pinned to them were laughing and chatting.
Accompanying them were De Quan and a few plain-clothed Jin Yiwei.
Li Wuting was dressed in a sky-blue robe with silver embroidery, standing out in the crowd with his clear and distinguished appearance.
Ning Rushen walked to one side, his eyes dazzled by the bright lights and Li Wuting’s luxurious attire. In a moment of distraction, he bumped shoulders with a passerby and stumbled into Li Wuting’s side.
Li Wuting turned his head, “…”
Ning Rushen apologized, “I lost control.”
Li Wuting took a deep breath, restraining himself from commenting on Ning Rushen’s choice of words, and scanned the surroundings, “Your eyes are wandering. Didn’t sleep well?”
Ning Rushen, dazed, “Mm.”
Not mentioning it was better, because once mentioned, he remembered again.
He hadn’t slept well last night, his dreams filled with silken threads and curtains, a swaying carriage. He vaguely saw a familiar crimson curtain, entangled in some way, only remembering that the curtain was tightly pulled, one end firmly tied to the carriage frame…
When he woke up, he was covered in a cold sweat.
He still hadn’t fully recovered.
His Majesty Xuan’s collection really packed a punch.
Ning Rushen was lost in thought when he suddenly heard Li Wuting call, “De Quan.”
Nearby, there was a stall selling candied hawthorns, their red, glossy surfaces glistening. De Quan, perceptively, responded, turned, and bought a skewer, handing it over, “Lord Ning.”
Ning Rushen: ?
Li Wuting, “Clear your head, so you don’t bump me into a stall.”
“…Thank you, Your Majesty.”
The sweet and sour taste of the hawthorn stimulated his taste buds.
Ning Rushen instantly felt much more awake.
Holding the large, bright red candied hawthorn, he looked at Li Wuting, his eyes visibly brighter, “I’m clear-headed now.”
Li Wuting glanced at him and chuckled.
Having opened the door with candied hawthorns, Ning Rushen continued to snack his way through the market. Perhaps because it was a rare festival, Li Wuting didn’t stop him.
By the time Ning Rushen was satisfied, they had toured most of the market.
They stopped by a street near Huaiming River, watching the boats race on the riverbank, surrounded by cheering onlookers.
The emperors he had read about were all different.
Ning Rushen glanced at Li Wuting beside him, “Your Majesty, do you usually feel stifled? Do you wish to share in the joy of the people?”
“… Stifled.”
Li Wuting ignored the first part of his sentence and gazed at the bustling, cheerful street market in front of him, “The joy of the people is my joy. If I stay in the high positions of the palace every day, how can I share in the people’s joy and suffer their hardships?”
Ning Rushen looked at him, his heart stirred.
Li Wuting turned to him, “What, did I say something wrong?”
“No… what Your Majesty said is very true.”
Their gazes met, and in Ning Rushen’s eyes reflected the surrounding warm yellow lights, his gaze seemed to hold countless unspoken words.
Li Wuting lowered his eyelashes and softened his voice, “What does Ning Qing want to say? Just speak freely.”
Just speak freely.
Ning Rushen then turned his head and looked around, releasing those countless unspoken words, “Your Majesty is wholeheartedly for the people, but how can such expenses be borne by the small national treasury alone? In my opinion, we should seek sponsorship from the major families—”
As he spoke, he pointed around, “Like those dragon boats, the lanterns on the riverbank, and the lanterns along the ten-mile street, all should be funded by the families. In return, we… Your Majesty can grant them naming rights, and in the corners, note: Sponsored by such-and-such family…”
Perhaps he didn’t expect the countless unspoken words in Ning Rushen’s eyes to actually turn into real words.
Li Wuting was completely taken aback.
He couldn’t get a word in edgewise throughout.
Ning Rushen passionately elaborated on his grand vision, even asking for a bowl of icy dessert halfway to soothe his throat. When he finished painting this vivid picture, he saw that Li Wuting and the group of Jin Yiwei beside him were all silent.
Li Wuting’s expression was unreadable.
The Jin Yiwei looked at Ning Rushen with a mix of respect, as if thinking: He really knows how to exploit.
Ning Rushen, “…”
He lowered his eyelashes and gently tried to make amends, “This is an opportunity for their reputations to spread far and wide. Your Majesty… is truly a benevolent person.”
Li Wuting, “…”
After a moment of silence, he lowered his head and examined Ning Rushen’s head.
Ning Rushen instinctively touched the top of his head, “What’s wrong, Your Majesty? Am I bald?”
“Not at all,” Li Wuting said pointedly, “It’s pitch black.”
Ning Rushen: …
·
They had almost finished touring the night market and were preparing to leave.
The group walked along the Huaiming River bank towards the exit of the night market. After a while, Li Wuting said, “What Ning Qing said is very good, cutting expenses to benefit the people. You will be in charge of this matter.”
Ning Rushen: ?
He glanced at Li Wuting, his mouth slightly open, “Your Majesty, shouldn’t this be the responsibility of the Ministry of Rites or the Ministry of Revenue?”
“They are not as capable in this area as Ning Qing.”
Li Wuting said it casually, then glanced at him, “Ning Qing seems to have a talent for fighting fire with fire.”
Ning Rushen squinted slightly: Was it an illusion?
Just now, his lip movements seemed to say, “Fighting evil with evil”…
While talking, they had already exited the night market, and the crowd gradually thinned out. Li Wuting seemed to be in a good mood, with a faint smile on his lips.
“We’ll discuss this matter after the festival. Let’s go, let’s return to the mansion.”
Ning Rushen’s attention was quickly diverted: Let’s go?
By the sound of it, Li Wuting intended to escort him back?
He felt flattered, waving his hands, “How could I trouble Your Majesty! I can walk back by myself.”
Li Wuting didn’t stop walking, “I’m afraid Ning Qing will be bumped into on the street again like last time.”
Ning Rushen’s cheeks reddened slightly, his eyes softening.
Li Wuting, “And then someone will accuse you.”
Ning Rushen, “…”
He really shared the people’s hardships.
The Ning mansion wasn’t far from here, so they walked.
From this direction, they could pass through a small alley that circled behind the main courtyard of the Ning mansion, which was quiet and less crowded.
Ning Rushen and Li Wuting walked into the alley and, just after turning a corner, saw two figures climbing the wall of the main courtyard in the dim night.
Both stopped simultaneously.
Up ahead, Li Yingtang was climbing on Geng Yan’s shoulders. A casual conversation drifted from below the wall:
“You said you often meet His Majesty here, is it true?”
“Nine times out of ten. My lord, have you climbed up?”
“Almost there. It’s so dark in the courtyard.”
Ning Rushen, “…”
Li Wuting, “…”
After a long pause, Ning Rushen whispered, “Your Majesty, am I seeing a pervert?”
