Chapter 28
Watching the Emperor's tense expression, Shen Nian also knew that he had spoken out of turn, and couldn't help feeling a chill creep up his neck.
Qi Junmu had casually asked him about the reign title earlier, deliberately glossing over his earlier loss of composure—a signal for Shen Nian to pretend he hadn't seen anything, and let the matter pass as if it never happened.
If Shen Nian were clever, and with their unspoken mutual understanding, he should have followed Qi Junmu's lead and said something perfunctory about how the Astronomical Bureau had naturally chosen an auspicious title, then taken his leave as a matter of course.
But no—he not only failed to do that, he outright laid bare the Emperor's thoughts. He might as well have not valued his own head.
Still, it was too late for regrets now; he had already riled up the Emperor.
Shen Nian thought for a moment and decided to just see it through. Instead of taking back his words, he met Qi Junmu's icy stare and pressed on: "Your Majesty, this humble subject means no disrespect. The fact that Your Majesty did not hide the secret letter from me shows that you trust me. Since that trust exists, what harm is there in relaxing a little in my presence?"
At this, Qi Junmu let out a cold, mirthless laugh. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Oh? Then how would Marquis Zhenbei like me to relax in front of you?"
Qi Junmu was handsome and refined, carrying an air of noble grace.
Shen Nian had spent years in the military camp, surrounded by rough men who traded bawdy jokes like common currency. When he first entered the capital and laid eyes on the Emperor, all other colors seemed to fade. That slow arch of the Emperor's brow somehow struck a nerve in Shen Nian, and his brain short-circuited as he blurted out: "Perhaps Your Majesty could smile more often in my presence."
Qi Junmu: "..."
Shen Nian: "..."
Shen Nian and Qi Junmu stared at each other.
Shen Nian's face was blank, but inside he was thinking—had he grown a bear's gall and a leopard's guts, to dare speak such presumptuous words to the Emperor? If he had said that to a young lady, he'd be branded a rogue and a scoundrel. But to say it to the sovereign? That was insolence before the throne—an offense punishable by beheading.
The thought made his face drain of color. He quickly clasped his hands in salute, bowed low, and spoke in a rush: "Your Majesty, this humble subject was wrong. I talk too much. I shall return home at once and reflect on my faults behind closed doors."
Qi Junmu gave a cold snort. "Since you, a high minister of the court, know you talk too much, why not just part with your tongue?"
"Your Majesty, please don't!" Shen Nian's face crumpled into a pitiful plea. "This humble subject was wrong."
His expression and attitude were so utterly foolish and groveling that one couldn't help but feel both exasperated and amused.
Qi Junmu was the Emperor, but he was also human. Seeing Shen Nian—a man who could take a blow and roll with it—in such a state, he casually grabbed a few memorials from the imperial desk and hurled them at Shen Nian. "Get lost, then."
Shen Nian fumbled to catch the memorials, intending to tidy them up and place them back on the desk, letting the matter quietly blow over.
But when his eyes fell on one particular booklet, his expression froze, and his face flushed crimson. He had heard plenty of crude talk in the military camp, but he had always kept himself chaste and never set foot in any brothels. Besides, the border situation was so dire that he hadn't even had time to think about such things. Now, suddenly confronted with this, his mind went blank—he was utterly dumbfounded.
Shen Nian was naturally refined and gentle by nature. This sudden flush made him look like a proper scholar who had accidentally wandered into a brothel—flustered, embarrassed, and completely unlike his usual poised self.
It was clear that he was genuinely innocent in such matters.
Though Qi Junmu stood behind the imperial desk, the booklet was clearly different from the memorials, and he naturally recognized what it was.
This was the very item that had sparked the Empress Dowager's fury last time. The booklet had ended up in Ruan Jiqing's hands, who dared not keep it and wanted to burn it. Qi Junmu had taken it instead, setting it aside on his desk with the thought of studying the brushwork and habits of whoever had drawn it, in order to track down the culprit.
But just then, Wang Yi's arrival at the palace had consumed all of his attention, and he had completely forgotten about the booklet.
And now, with one careless toss, it had landed right on Shen Nian's head.
But this really isn't mine! — that was the only thought left in Qi Junmu's mind.
Shen Nian pushed aside his awkwardness, and seeing the usually composed Emperor at a rare loss for words, he hastily dumped the memorials on the floor, stuffed the booklet into his robes, and fled the palace without a trace of propriety, his face burning hot.
"Hey—" Qi Junmu called out, but the word died in his throat as he watched Shen Nian flee in panic.
Qi Junmu stood there, for the first time feeling his scalp tighten and his whole body pricked by thorns.
After Shen Nian left, Xia Guo tiptoed in to attend to him and began picking up the memorials scattered on the floor.
From outside the hall, he had vaguely heard the Emperor telling Marquis Zhenbei to get lost, and soon after, he had seen Shen Nian dash out, red-faced—an expression that plainly showed he had been wronged somehow.
They, the eunuchs, all knew that Qi Junmu valued Shen Nian highly. And since Shen Nian had rendered meritorious service time and again, it really seemed unfair that the Emperor had berated him like that.
But as a eunuch—especially one in close personal attendance to the Emperor—one generally did not voice opinions lightly.
Whether Shen Nian was favored or cast aside was a matter of his own fate; at most, others could only sigh inwardly at the fickleness of fortune.
Xia Guo was sharp-eyed. The way Marquis Zhenbei had left, and the Emperor's stern expression now—clearly something major had gone wrong between them. At such a time, he kept his mouth shut all the more, not wanting to stir up trouble.
But though he wanted to stay out of it, the Emperor was not of the same mind.
Qi Junmu looked at Xia Guo, who knew nothing and acted like he wasn't even there. He remembered that it was Xia Guo's good friend Ruan Jiqing who had brought that booklet back from Renshou Palace, leading to this whole mess—and his irritation flared again.
Right now, he was displeased with anyone connected to Ruan Jiqing. So the Emperor spoke in an inscrutable tone: "Leave. I don't want to see you."
Xia Guo's legs went weak with fear at these words. He dropped to his knees, tears welling in his eyes. "Your Majesty, if this servant has angered you, then beat me, scold me—but please don't upset yourself!"
"Get out, get out, get out." Qi Junmu couldn't bear to listen to his howling and wailing.
No comments:
Post a Comment