Chapter 74
Shen Nian took the letter, and Ruan Jiqing left with a look of grievance, his figure appearing quite forlorn. Though Shen Nian knew perfectly well that he was putting on an act, he still found Ruan Jiqing rather amusing.
A person like that by the Emperor's side—at least he wouldn't keep the Emperor tense and on edge all the time.
Holding the letter, Shen Nian walked back to the bedchamber. There he saw the Emperor leaning languidly against the headboard of the dragon bed, his hair was loose and his robes a little rumpled—clearly he had just woken up.
Shen Nian quickened his pace and asked, "Your Majesty, why are you awake?"
Qi Junmu raised an eyebrow slightly and teased, "You're quite heartless, aren't you? We were just lying in the same bed a moment ago, and now that you're off the bed, you're being so distant with me. Don't you think that's a bit much?"
For some reason, Shen Nian felt his face grow warm. He coughed dryly twice and said with some exasperation, "This is a letter from the king of Western Di. Your Majesty should take a look first."
Qi Junmu gazed at Shen Nian with a smile, then patted the edge of the bed.
Shen Nian froze for a moment, then caught on and shook his head before walking over and sitting down by the bed.
Perhaps seeing how stiff his posture was, Qi Junmu reached out, took his hand, and gave a gentle tug, pulling him onto the bed and into his arms.
Afraid of hurting him, Shen Nian braced his arms to push himself up, but Qi Junmu said, "What's the point of sitting there? Lie down with me."
After a moment's hesitation, Shen Nian said, "Very well."
Qi Junmu grinned. This was precisely what he liked about Shen Nian—his unpretentious nature.
Once they were lying side by side, Qi Junmu opened the letter from Western Di.
The Western Di king's letter was quite long. It first expressed admiration and devotion toward Da Qi and a wish for lasting friendship between the two kingdoms, then mentioned that, upon learning of Da Qi's new emperor's ascension, they wished to send envoys to offer congratulations and behold the new sovereign's splendor.
Finally, the Western Di king also raised the matter of seeking a Da Qi princess in marriage, as a gesture of eternal goodwill between the two kingdoms.
Reading to the end, Qi Junmu sat up straight. In his previous life, nothing like this had happened. Western Di and Da Qi had only come into contact three years after his accession, and their first encounter had been on the battlefield—there had never been any envoys seeking a princess.
"Treacherous ambitions," Shen Nian said bluntly, since Qi Junmu had not hidden the letter from him as he read.
Qi Junmu came back to himself and gazed at Shen Nian beside him, saying in a low voice, "My Marquis Shen is right about everything."
Shen Nian subtly adjusted his expression to appear as composed as possible, and continued, "Peace bought through a princess's marriage alliance is never lasting, no matter the time. Western Di, like the Northern Rong, has harsh terrain and has always eyed our Da Qi's lands with covetousness. Whether they sue for peace or propose marriage, it's all just a tactic to sink their teeth into Da Qi later."
"Among all the civil and military officials in court, only you would say such a thing," Qi Junmu said as he slowly folded the Western Di king's letter and casually placed it on the bed. "Most of them think using one princess to buy a period of peace is the most cost-effective deal imaginable."
"I simply believe that as long as Da Qi's military might is strong enough, and our troops stand firm on all four borders, they can safeguard the realm in every direction," Shen Nian said softly.
Qi Junmu nodded. "When the kingdom is prosperous and the army is strong, no one dares to provoke us."
Shen Nian hummed in agreement. He was a man who had crawled out from piles of corpses, had earned countless merits, and had held power over a region—yet he was the one who hated war the most. War was always the cruelest thing. No one could tell whether the person alive today would still be able to speak with you tomorrow.
Having witnessed countless partings between life and death, the thought of it still haunted him whenever it came to mind.
Seeing Shen Nian's expression turn somber, Qi Junmu drew him closer and said, "Do you think I should agree?"
Snapping back to the present, Shen Nian thought carefully before replying, "The envoys may enter Da Qi, but as for the rest—let them not entertain such fancies. After all, anyone can dream sweet dreams as long as they are asleep."
To put it more plainly—who wouldn't be able to daydream?
Qi Junmu let out a low chuckle at his words, then murmured almost to himself, "Shen Nian, I still haven't known you deeply enough. I never realized before that your tongue could be so sharp—every word you say strikes straight to my heart."
"Your Majesty..." Shen Nian started, his expression earnest and sincere, but the words died on his lips.
Because the Emperor's right index finger was resting on his lips. The finger was not warm, and its pressure was featherlight, yet Shen Nian felt as if that single finger weighed as heavily as a mountain.
His eyes darted about, but he dared not meet Qi Junmu's gaze.
No one knew how long passed before he felt the finger leave his lips. Then something warm brushed against his mouth—a touch that came and went in an instant, so light it barely existed.
Shen Nian looked up in a daze to find the Emperor already sitting upright, his face stripped of its usual composure, replaced even by a trace of fluster and unease. The Emperor cleared his throat and said, "It's getting late. I've slept enough—time to rise."
Shen Nian's own heart had been pounding wildly, but when he saw the Emperor in such a state, his own heart suddenly steadied.
Only one thought crossed his mind: in matters like this, the Emperor seemed remarkably innocent.
At that thought, Shen Nian was swept over by a surge of joy.
He sat up slowly and said, "Allow this humble subject to do Your Majesty's hair." He paused briefly, a little embarrassed. "This humble subject is not very skilled at it, though—I hope Your Majesty will not mind."
Qi Junmu said, "Naturally, I won't."
The truth was, Shen Nian didn’t know how to do hair at all — not his own, and certainly not anyone else’s.
In the military camp, he had grown used to being slovenly and tied his hair casually. Now, tending to someone he cared for, his movements were clumsy, as if he did not know where to begin.
Qi Junmu's face showed no particular expression; even when his hair was tugged painfully at times, he did not utter a single superfluous word.
When Shen Nian finally managed to finish the difficult task of binding his hair, Qi Junmu looked at himself in the bronze mirror, paused for a moment, and then—against his better judgment—said it looked fine.
Shen Nian looked at the Emperor in the mirror and laughed.
Qi Junmu looked back at Shen Nian through the mirror and laughed as well.
Qi Junmu stood up and glanced at the dragon couch. Shen Nian naturally stepped forward and picked up the letter lying on it.
The two walked out of the bedchamber together. As they went, Qi Junmu said, "When Ah Zhuo returns to the capital, you are to lead the North Mountain Imperial Guard personally to Farewell Pavilion to welcome him."
Shen Nian smiled. "Is Your Majesty testing whether the North Mountain Imperial Guard obeys my commands?"
"Naturally," Qi Junmu said. "Those men guard my very life. Of course I want to see the results from Marquis Shen."
"Then does Your Majesty trust Prince Jin?" Shen Nian hesitated before finally voicing the question.
If he led the North Mountain Imperial Guard to receive Qi Junzhuo, put nicely it was a welcome, but put bluntly it was an arrest. Once that happened, everyone in the capital would know the Emperor's stance toward Qi Junzhuo—and what would Qi Junzhuo himself think?
Shen Nian had not had deep dealings with Qi Junzhuo, but they shared similar interests, and given time, they might have become good friends.
He also knew how much Qi Junmu valued this younger brother, and he naturally did not wish the capital's gossip to prove true.
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