It was already deep into the night. Shen Zhaoquan, who had brought Yan Yihuan back, should have gone to rest, but after hesitating for a moment, he remained outside the bedchamber.
For some reason, even though the two people inside had only misunderstood each other and things would be fine once they explained it clearly, Shen Zhaoquan still felt uneasy, an inexplicable dread stirring in him.
Although he hadn’t served at the Emperor’s side since childhood like Huai De had, he had still watched him grow up. Everyone said the late emperor had been gentle and kind, so how had the crown prince ended up with such an unfathomable temperament?
Shen Zhaoquan knew the truth. It was because His Majesty saw too clearly, which was why he hid his thoughts so well.
Whether it was the sudden passing of the late Emperor that caught everyone off guard, or the unpredictable storms within the court after he ascended the throne. His Majesty had always kept a firm grasp on everything, planning each move with confidence.
But only when it came to Yan Yihuan would he waver. He would fear gaining and losing, and that fear of losing him would strip away the confidence that allowed him(LXM) to stand above all others.
It was strange. Yan Yihuan was clearly the purest of people, yet he made those who were used to reading others’ hearts unable to see through him.
Whoever treated him well, he would return that kindness with all his heart. With the Emperor forcing him to remain at his side every day, never letting him out of sight, the closeness between them truly did seem unbreakable.
But what if it had been someone else treating him this way?
Shen Zhaoquan glanced towards the inner room and let out a quiet sigh. Just as he was about to turn and leave, a sudden thud sounded from inside, making every nerve in his body tense as he pulled back the half-step he had taken.
A flash of light streaked across the sky, illuminating a figure who hurried towards him and stopped in the courtyard outside the sleeping hall. A booming clap of thunder followed, making everyone’s heart jump at once.
Inside the bedchamber, Yan Yihuan’s face had gone pale. He had also been startled by the sudden thunder, his heart pounding like a drum. Yet it was not the thunder he feared, but the storm gathering right before his eyes.
“Parental command cannot be disobeyed?” Li Xuanming smiled. Although the corners of his mouth curved upward, his eyes were dark and unfathomable, “No matter who that person is, you would agree, wouldn’t you?”
Marriage was a matter to be decided by one’s parents, after all. Although Yan Yihuan felt an indescribable unease in his heart, Li Xuanming was not wrong.
“If it were Your Majesty, I would be happy.” Yan Yihuan admitted honestly, although with fear. “But that’s impossible. Your Majesty could never marry me, so why can’t I become betrothed to someone else?”
So being married to him(LXM) would only bring a bit of happiness.[mfn]t/n: This sentence is like an inner thought of LXM.[/mfn]
“Then how do you know it’s impossible?”
“Since ancient times, even if a man can marry, the Empress must be a woman.” Yan Yihuan said seriously. “Male consorts don’t even have official titles, their names aren’t proper, and their status isn’t legitimate. How is that any different from being treated as a mere plaything?”
Having said this, Yan Yihuan lowered his eyes and murmured to himself, not daring to look into those eyes again.
Besides, he didn’t even know how long it would be before the Yan family might be branded as traitors. If he survived, that alone would be lucky. How could he think about anything else?
“So all this time, you were unaware, oblivious, and careless,” Li Xuanming said calmly, suddenly standing. “You didn’t even consider the possibility of this.”
As the tightly wrapped presence surrounding him withdrew, Yan Yihuan’s brows twitched. An indescribable sensation spread through his heart, sour and aching, unbearably uncomfortable.
The emperor liked him. Otherwise, the emperor would not have shared with him the most intimate act between two people.
He also liked the emperor. But the emperor would never be the one to spend a lifetime with him. Things were calm now, yet who knew how long this calm would last. This was nothing more than taking joy while they still could.
In truth, he wanted to return to Linjing. He wanted to persuade his father and brother not to conspire with King Qin. He didn’t want to see the Yan family stand against the emperor.
“Ke…” Li Xuanming’s laugh was cold enough to make Yan Yihuan’s heart jump for no reason, “I thought you were only a fool, but I didn’t expect you to be heartless.”
Heartless?
Yan Yihuan froze. A wave of grievance rose in his chest. Would a heartless person tie someone up and send himself to the emperor’s bed?
“I…”
He wanted to explain, but Shen Zhaoquan’s urgent voice came suddenly from outside the bedchamber.
“Your Majesty, there is a military report!”
Li Xuanming’s eyes widened slightly, and his expression darkened at once.
During the late emperor’s reign, there had once been a delay in delivering a military report because the palace gates were locked for the night. The messenger could not enter, and it nearly caused a great disaster.
As soon as Li Xuanming ascended the throne, he issued a decree dividing military reports into several levels. If it was extremely urgent, it could be delivered at any time, without regard for the hour.
And now it was already Hai hour[mfn]9pm-11pm[/mfn], with thunder and lightning outside. Whoever had come must be carrying a report of utmost urgency.
The door opened, and several eunuchs entered one after another to help Li Xuanming change. Yan Yihuan felt his vision blur for a moment as the lifted curtain suddenly fell again, blocking his view. Only then did he realize he was still unclothed and instinctively shrank back a little.
But his hands were still tied.
There was movement outside, yet no one spoke. Yan Yihuan didn’t dare call for the emperor to untie the silk for him. He could only lift his wrists to his mouth and try to bite the knot open.
When he tied it, he never thought it would come to this. He hadn’t expected he would need to undo it himself. Because it was awkward to reach, he accidentally pulled it into a dead knot.
Now this was trouble. The emperor clearly had no time to care. Hearing the footsteps grow distant, Yan Yihuan silently groaned. Was he going to stay tied up all night?
Yet another set of hurried footsteps came closer and closer. Light suddenly returned as the curtain was yanked aside. Yan Yihuan, still trying to bite at the silk, froze. He reached out instinctively, only to be grabbed and pulled forward as the bindings were loosened.
He really had tied it too tightly. The moment the silk came off, a rush of cold shot through his hands, followed by a prickling numbness like ten thousand ants biting. Yan Yihuan tried to speak, but the Emperor did not spare him another glance. The curtain fell once more, hiding the Emperor’s retreating figure from view.
The messenger wore coarse clothing and was covered in dust. He was clearly exhausted, yet his eyes were sharp and steady. When he saw the emperor arrive, he moved to bow, but the emperor stopped him.
“Speak.”
The matter was urgent, so he no longer bothered with formalities and simply cupped his fists.
“Your Majesty, this humble officer serves as a deputy under King Qin. Northern Di began harassing the border about three months ago. There have always been small skirmishes, but the attacks have indeed been more frequent lately. His Highness King Qin grew more cautious and sent additional troops to the frontier.”
“But after the reinforcements arrived, most of the raids were all show and no real threat. We pushed them back past the border with little effort. This went on for nearly a month. Since transporting rations and supplies to the frontier takes time and labor, His Highness… His Highness withdrew the extra troops again.”
“Get to the point!”
“Yes!” The man’s eyes sharpened. His voice trembled, but he spoke each word clearly, “On the way back after the withdrawal, the King of Northern Di, Huyan Xin, sent his younger brother Huyan Ke to lead a large force in a surprise attack on the border. The frontier city was caught off guard and taken.”
Li Xuanming’s breath hitched. His grip on the table tightened until his knuckles turned white, but he said nothing and waited for the report to continue.
“Because the withdrawal scattered our forces, after breaking through the frontier city, Huyan Ke pressed forward and took another city. Right now, his army is already at the gates of Changning City!”
Li Xuanming’s pupils contracted slightly. Yunchang Prefecture was the largest prefecture on the northern border and also where King Qin’s residence lay. If that fell, the entire north would be in danger!
“What’s the current situation.”
“Replying to Your Majesty, due to insufficient troops, the situation was already extremely dire when I left. We urgently need reinforcements!”
Li Xuanming knew this was not the time for blaming.
“Summon Du Yunsong[mfn]Reminder: Du Yunsong is the protector general. Remember when the emperor suddenly went to his residence? Yea, that’s him. First appearance around the end of ch11.[/mfn] here immediately!”
After saying this, he immediately turned toward the desk. Shen Zhaoquan quickly spread out the edict paper and picked up the ink stick to grind ink as fast as he could.
Even in such urgency, Li Xuanming still hesitated for a moment before putting brush to paper.
Changning was far. Reinforcements from anywhere else would arrive too late. The fastest option was King Wei, but King Qin and King Wei had long-standing enmity, and both harbored disloyal intentions. Although he had originally wanted the two to clash, with an external enemy at the gates, he feared their private grudges would ruin everything.
The brush hovered steadily above the edict, but did not move. Shen Zhaoquan glanced at him and softly reminded, “Your Majesty.”
Li Xuanming lowered his eyes slightly, then decisively wrote the edict. He lifted his head and said to Shen Zhaoquan,
“Zhen has already issued an edict to have King Wei send reinforcements first. You may go rest for now. We will discuss further when General Du arrives.”
Meanwhile, Yan Yihuan, peeking through the crack in the curtain, felt a jolt of fear. If the battle intensified, the next one to go for reinforcements would inevitably be his eldest brother. But what if his brother took the opportunity to conspire with King Qin? What would happen then?
Author’s note:
Little Yihuan: Didn’t expect it, right? Turns out I’m the only one truly clear-headed in the world.
