Qi Junmu was the Emperor—but he was also a man. These things were only natural.
It was simply that he had never known intimacy. In his previous life, his heart had been set on Wen Wan, and the most he had ever done was touch her hand. Since his rebirth, that side of him had lain dormant. And now, just as he and Shen Nian had spoken openly, he had dreamed of him...
If Ruan Jiqing hadn't knocked this morning to remind him of court, the dream would likely have continued.
Waking from such a dream always left a trace of regret—so much so that he had suddenly felt like playing truant.
But when he heard Shen Nian's voice, Qi Junmu couldn't help but recall that dream... It made him seem so lacking in self-control. Without a second thought, he had sent the man away.
Fortunately, Shen Nian was not without tact.
By now, Ruan Jiqing had finished tidying. The bed linens were, of course, beyond use and would have to be replaced with fresh, softer ones.
As for the illustrated book—that was not his decision to make. He would have to ask the Emperor.
So Ruan Jiqing hesitated for a moment, then went back to the outer chamber to seek the Emperor's instructions.
The Emperor didn't even lift his eyelids. "Burn it."
Ruan Jiqing acknowledged the order. But before he could turn, the Emperor added casually, "Never mind. Find a place to store it."
Ruan Jiqing acknowledged again. He waited a moment, and when the Emperor gave no further instructions, he understood—this thing had truly been spared from the flames.
After Ruan Jiqing had finished putting the hall in order and brought over another secret letter from Xing Yi, Qi Junmu rose and said, "Summon Xia Guo. I have matters to instruct him."
Seeing the Emperor's expression, Ruan Jiqing knew this was no ordinary affair. He hurried to the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs to fetch Xia Guo.
Compared to Ruan Jiqing, Xia Guo was less conspicuous in appearance, but his methods were extraordinary. He and Ruan Jiqing both served frequently at the Emperor's side. Ordinarily, however, it was Ruan Jiqing who was present, so Xia Guo rarely stood out.
In the eyes of outsiders, Xia Guo was not as favored as Ruan Jiqing, and everyone in the palace assumed the two were locked in a life-or-death rivalry.
Xia Guo hadn't expected the Emperor to summon him alone, so he asked with a smile, "Isn't Eunuch Ruan attending His Majesty? Why has His Majesty thought of me?"
Ruan Jiqing glanced at him and said, "How could I possibly guess His Majesty's thoughts?"
At that, Xia Guo knew it wasn't that Ruan Jiqing didn't want to tell him—he genuinely had no idea.
Their relationship was indeed one of competition. For servants like them, without the amusement of rivalry, life would be far too dull. But that didn't stop them from occasionally sharing a tip or a warning—after all, people like them shared a certain kinship.
When Xia Guo arrived, the Emperor received him alone—not even Ruan Jiqing was present.
Ruan Jiqing had no idea what the Emperor wanted Xia Guo to do. All he knew was that when Xia Guo emerged, his face was unusually grave.
When Xia Guo saw Ruan Jiqing, he only sighed and said, "The wind is rising before the storm."
That cryptic remark weighed heavily on Ruan Jiqing's heart. He had a vague sense that the Emperor was brewing something.
But before he could dwell on it, Lin Xiao arrived with several high-ranking ministers to pay their respects to the Emperor.
Ruan Jiqing hurried to receive them. Following the Emperor's orders, he kept Lin Xiao behind and sent the others away.
The Emperor was waiting for Lin Xiao in the imperial study.
When Lin Xiao saw the Emperor, he studied him carefully and confirmed that he was indeed fine. Relieved, he asked, "Why did Your Majesty not attend court today?"
"I was in a poor mood, so I didn't go," Qi Junmu said frankly.
Lin Xiao was taken aback. He frowned, finding such indolence troubling. The Emperor could not afford to be so capricious. Just as he was about to offer some counsel, Qi Junmu produced the secret letter and handed it to him. "Uncle, take a look at this first."
Lin Xiao quickly read through the letter. By the end, his brow was so deeply furrowed it could crush a fly.
"What do you think, Uncle?" Qi Junmu asked.
Lin Xiao gripped the letter tightly, his tone turning cold. "Your Majesty, this humble subject believes that since Prince Rui dared to secretly meet with envoys from the Western Di, he has shown grave disrespect. This matter must be dealt with severely."
"Uncle means we should use this to convict him?" Qi Junmu said.
Lin Xiao had intended to let the emperor ponder for himself what "severe punishment" meant, but who knew the emperor would directly voice his innermost thoughts. This was indeed what he had been thinking—only such words were not usually meant to be spoken by a subject.
After all, it was a matter of the imperial family, involving brothers by blood. As a subject, even if he was the emperor's maternal uncle, he could only hint at things. Now that the emperor had bluntly laid bare his thoughts, Lin Xiao could hardly back down.
Moreover, facing the emperor, he always had to speak some truth from his heart.
Thus, he looked at the emperor with a grave expression and nodded. "Your Majesty, this is a golden opportunity. This humble subject begs your pardon for speaking treasonously, but Prince Rui, as the late emperor's legitimate son, must be guarded against. Now that we have this chance, we must strike decisively."
In that short sentence, Lin Xiao made his stance unmistakably clear.
Qi Junmu fell silent for a moment, then said with a hint of melancholy, "Uncle, we still lack conclusive evidence. Wouldn't that be going too far?"
Lin Xiao looked at the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, every man for himself. Prince Rui's status alone is a threat, and this is a rare opportunity. This humble subject knows Your Majesty is kind-hearted, but this concerns the throne and Your Majesty's safety. For you, losing Prince Rui means losing one threat. Your Majesty's action would also serve as a warning to deter any with disloyal intentions."
Toward the end, Lin Xiao added with a sigh, "Your Majesty, seated in that position, sometimes you must endure—but sometimes you must be ruthless."
Qi Junmu was taken aback. He stared at Lin Xiao, his lips parting slightly, as though he had not expected such words to come from him.
After a long pause, the emperor pursed his lips and softly called out, "Uncle."
Lin Xiao wore an expression of having laid everything on the line. "You are the emperor. You cannot afford to be overly indecisive in all things. Opportunity comes only once—it slips away in an instant. If you fail to seize it, you will have to expend a hundred times the effort and time later."
Qi Junmu lowered his gaze. "Uncle, have you ever been disappointed in me? Over the North Frontier, or over the matter of Shen Nian?"
"This humble subject would not dare," Lin Xiao said hurriedly with a look of alarm. "Your Majesty has sound reasoning behind every action. Marquis Zhenbei and the North Frontier Army are, after all, merely Your Majesty's subjects. There is no rush to consolidate military power. Moreover, Marquis Zhenbei has rendered great service—it does no harm for Your Majesty to be lenient with him."
The unspoken implication was that Qi Junyan was different. As the late emperor's legitimate son, he harbored the potential for rebellion and must not be given any opening.
Qi Junmu understood Lin Xiao's meaning. He fell silent, and after a long while, he said in a complex tone, "Uncle, I will give this matter serious consideration."
Lin Xiao could hear the uncertainty in his voice and did not press further.
He had said all that needed to be said. There was nothing more to add. Ultimately, the decision rested with the emperor himself, and he could not overstep his bounds.
So Lin Xiao seized the chance to change the subject. "Your Majesty, of late there has been a shortage of officials across the prefectures, and all capable men are already serving in their posts. This humble subject and other ministers have discussed the matter—Your Majesty could hold an additional imperial examination to select exceptional talents and fill the various ministries."
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