Qin Xuanqi sat alone on the high throne, stretching his body comfortably as he leaned back. His aggressive gaze remained fixed on Qin Duoye without any attempt at concealment.
The eyes of the two men clashed like gold against stone, a silent battle of wills.
Qin Xuanqi had initially assumed that the official who spoke so wildly and disrespectfully was merely seeking attention. Yet, after not seeing him for these few days, he had missed him intensely. Whenever he closed his eyes, the image of those ink-like eyes would involuntarily surface in his mind.
Now that he finally saw him again today, his mood inexplicably brightened. He tapped his fingers lightly on the imperial desk, the corners of his mouth curling upward into a faint, amused smile.
Fifth Yan, standing in the front row, happened to glance up and catch the Emperor’s expression. His pupils dilated slightly. The officials beside him did the same, all of them hurriedly lowering their heads to hide the shock in their eyes.
The current Emperor had always faced his officials with a gloomy, icy, mocking, angry, or stone-faced expression; no one had ever seen him smile. What had happened today?
As they reached their positions in the ranks, they bowed and joined in the chorus shouting long live.
The court proceedings were no different from his past life, to the point where Qin Duoye felt a strange sense of familiarity and ease.
With his cold still lingering, his mind felt feverish and heavy, and his eyelids were dry and burdened. Qin Duoye closed his eyes at the end of the line, treating it as a moment of rest while quietly listening to the discussions.
With his eyes closed, his mind felt a bit clearer.
First, they discussed the upcoming season, preparing for the autumn hunt, which was to be jointly organized by the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Rites.
Occasionally, there were confrontations between officials, which Qin Duoye perceived as struggles for the positions of presiding official and master of ceremonies. The various factions at court scrambled to push their own people into key roles.
Qin Duoye didn’t fully understand the power dynamics at court yet, but even he could hear the blatant ambition in their voices. He refused to believe that Qin Xuanqi, having sat on that throne for so long, couldn’t hear it too.
Thinking this, Qin Duoye looked up, wanting to observe his cub.
Upon looking up, he met that unabashed gaze once more. The Emperor’s long, narrow phoenix eyes were lowered, staring straight at the end of the line of officials where Qin Duoye stood.
When he saw Qin Duoye open his eyes, Qin Xuanqi actually winked at him.
The brat has no idea how long he has been staring! He is not listening to court business at all!
Qin Duoye pursed his lips and stared back with a cold, warning look.
After a long moment, the imperial brat showed no sign of restraint. In fact, after receiving his warning, he smiled even more brazenly, ground his teeth slightly, and gestured toward his own eyebrows.
A soft chuckle echoed from the dragon throne.
The officials, who had been arguing fiercely just a moment ago, instantly fell silent.
When the Emperor laughs, disaster follows; life and death become unpredictable.
The officials stopped arguing and fell deathly quiet, waiting for Qin Xuanqi’s next instruction. No one would dare offend the Emperor over a mere position for the autumn hunt; it wasn’t worth it.
When the Emperor had first ascended to the throne four years ago, he had laughed with that same sinister chill, then proceeded to kill nearly a third of the court officials on the spot. The smell of blood had lingered in the grand hall for three days and three nights. Only in recent years, as the Emperor’s temperament had gradually softened, had they dared to test the waters again.
But that single laugh pulled everyone right back into the palace coup of four years ago.
In the deathly silence of the Wuji Hall, even the breathing of the ministers was barely audible.
After a long, suffocating silence, Qin Xuanqi spoke with a playful tone, “Official Wen, it seems you have something to say?”
In an instant, everyone’s gaze shifted to the very end of the line. Some looked with pity, some with schadenfreude, and some as if they had narrowly escaped a disaster. Everyone was waiting for Qin Duoye’s reaction.
Qin Duoye sighed deeply in his heart.
The brat is doing this on purpose.
He stepped forward, standing alone in the center of the Wuji Hall. It was the same scene as when he had requested the imperial concubine position, but unlike the pathetic kneeling then, this was entirely different.
Qin Duoye stood with his spine straight. He raised his tablet symbolically and reported calmly, “Your Majesty, I believe that this year’s autumn hunt should prioritize frugality. We should cut down on ceremonial extravagance, streamline the entourage, and travel light with swift horses, making it purely symbolic.”
Because his cold hadn’t healed, his voice was still raspy, but it did not diminish his imposing demeanor.
“Impossible,” the Minister of Rites shook his head, looking at Qin Duoye like an ignorant youth. “You do not understand the state rituals; how can you just delete them as you please?”
“Indeed. The autumn hunt demonstrates the martial prowess and spirit of our dynasty’s officials. Great Wei has valued martial arts since the era of Emperor Cheng-Lie. In this era of peace and prosperity, which official does not train to strengthen his body?” The Vice Minister of Rites, a burly man, looked Qin Duoye up and down with disdain. “You, so frail… forget it. Do you understand Emperor Wei Cheng-Lie better than we do?”
Qin Duoye: “?”
Who?
Are you talking about Emperor Cheng-Lie, Qin Duoye?
Hah.
If you hadn’t mentioned that, I wouldn’t be interested. But since you brought it up, I am wide awake now.
Do you know that when Emperor Cheng-Lie was on the throne, he upended every old tradition in the court?
Qin Duoye’s sleepiness from the fever vanished. A bright light flashed in his dark eyes. He took a large step forward, tossed his tablet aside, and began.
“Gentlemen, do you know how many times the autumn hunt was held during Emperor Cheng-Lie’s reign?”
His dark, deep eyes swept across the men who had opposed him. Without giving them enough time to react, he held up three fingers, “Three times. There were only three formal autumn hunts.”
Qin Xuanqi leaned back against the dragon throne, watching the show like a spectator, looking quite satisfied with Qin Duoye.
“Minister, do you know the reason why?” Qin Duoye looked toward the Minister of Rites.
The Minister was stumped. “This…”
Qin Duoye didn’t pursue his embarrassment, opting instead to answer it himself, “Because in the early years of the An-Ping era, during the autumn harvest, Emperor Cheng-Lie left the palace every year to go to the outskirts of the capital or the paddy fields in the south to farm in person, encouraging agriculture. With his heavy administrative duties and concern for the people, when would he have had the time for a personal autumn hunt?”
The Vice Minister of Rites chimed in, “Emperor Cheng-Lie said himself that he used the autumn hunt to demonstrate the martial power and spirit of Great Wei to the northern Hu barbarians. Are you going to deny that?”
“Yes, he said that,” Qin Duoye nodded crisply, then sneered, “But do not put the cart before the horse. At that time, the barbarians had not yet been defeated and were invading our borders. Look at what happened after Emperor Cheng-Lie drove them deep into the grasslands, even without holding the autumn hunt, were the barbarians still causing trouble at the borders?”
“N-no, they weren’t.” The Vice Minister was silenced.
“Good. You treat Emperor Cheng-Lie’s words as absolute law, right?” Qin Duoye smiled, facing them alone. “Then tell me, in the sixth year of An-Ping, when the second autumn hunt of his reign began, what did he say before the civil and military officials? Does anyone remember?”
The entire court was silent.
Hah, as expected. A bunch of people who take things out of context.
Qin Duoye was just about to continue when a voice suddenly sounded from the throne.
“The root of the autumn hunt lies in the Emperor setting an example for all the people under heaven: hunting animals that damage poultry and crops, praying for a bountiful harvest. The symbolic meaning far outweighs the hunting itself.”
On the dragon throne, Qin Xuanqi still sat in his comfortable, spectator-like posture, nonchalantly reciting, word for word, what Qin Duoye had said a hundred years ago.
The court fell deathly quiet.
Even Qin Duoye was stunned for a moment.
Then, his eyes softened, revealing a faint smile.
This kid.
He actually remembers what I said so clearly.
“Very good,” Qin Duoye nodded with satisfaction. He smiled at the Ministry of Rites officials, “So, gentlemen, the autumn hunt is merely an announcement to the world that it is time to hunt the beasts that harm crops and poultry in preparation for the harvest. Given that the imperial treasury is not currently overflowing, we should simplify the regulations where possible. Do you have any further objections?”
His rapid, fierce offensive was like a drumbeat, faster and faster, leaving no room for thought or rebuttal.
After several exchanges, the officials opposing him began to hallucinate, dazed by the impression that this official was more familiar with the policies of the Cheng-Lie era than anyone else, and no one could outmatch him in debate.
“Then why don’t we just cancel it? Emperor Cheng-Lie didn’t hold it many times anyway,” Qin Xuanqi said, drawing out his words lazily.
“Your Majesty, that is not appropriate,” Qin Duoye faced the front of the hall. “During the Cheng-Lie era, the people understood the purpose, but since then, it has become a custom. To cancel it abruptly would be unwise.”
Qin Xuanqi’s expression froze.
Watching this guy massacre the court is fun, but when the blade swings toward me, it is not.
In the end, both sides backed down surprisingly fast. Without further objection, they reached a consensus: both ministries would provide staff, with the Xuan-Yi Guard overseeing the labor.
What should have been a morning-long argument was settled in less than half an hour.
“Official Wen’s words are reasonable. Let us proceed according to his proposal. Since he is so talented, let us give him a promotion.” Qin Xuanqi, feeling somewhat irritated, flicked his hand and threw the imperial decree down for Gou Hongyang to read.
Official Wen Qinghe of the Censorate was promoted to Vice Director of the Ministry of Personnel; the former Vice Director was transferred to Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works.
As the decree was announced, the court was in an uproar.
The officials who had just calmed down instantly redirected all their gathered fury toward Qin Duoye.
“Your Majesty, there is no such precedent! He is merely a minor Censor; without major achievements, how can he be suddenly promoted to Vice Director?” The Minister of Works jumped out first to object.
The position of Vice Minister of Works had been vacant for a long time, and he had been planning for his family’s younger generation to take it. Being intercepted like this made him extremely dissatisfied.
Although the former Vice Director was promoted, the Ministry of Works was far inferior to the Ministry of Personnel. And while the Vice Director’s rank wasn’t high, the power was immense.
The former Vice Director narrowed his eyes and glared at Qin Duoye, whispering sarcastically, “Could it be that he really earned his way up by being a male pet?”
Qin Duoye was getting tired of standing. After speaking so much, his throat was swollen and painful. He opened his mouth, his voice hoarse, “Are you not going to kneel and receive the decree?”
The Minister of Works and the former Vice Director: “…”
Talking to this man was inexplicably frustrating.
Qin Duoye, pale-faced, swayed slightly and prepared to receive the decree.
Qin Xuanqi looked down and said, “That is enough. That will be all for today. Regarding my decree, if anyone has a problem with it, you can leave your official hat behind; there are plenty of others who want to be promoted.”
“Dismissed! Official Wen, stay behind.”
As Fifth Yan walked out, he cast a subtle glance at Qin Duoye, his eyes asking if he needed help.
Qin Duoye waved his hand to signal he was fine. He looked up toward the man on the dragon throne; his eyes were obscured by the beads of the crown, and his expression was unreadable, though surely he was angry.
Qin Duoye was dragged by his wrist by a furious Qin Xuanqi all the way to the Hanzhang Hall.
He was tossed onto the couch. Qin Xuanqi reached out and grabbed his neck, his thumb pressing firmly against his chin, forcing him to look up.
Qin Duoye couldn’t breathe and coughed twice.
Hearing the coughing, the pressure on his neck relaxed. Qin Xuanqi’s voice was cold, “I was afraid that if I weren’t careful, I would choke you to death.”
“Since you are afraid, Your Majesty,” Qin Duoye rubbed his neck, which was throbbing with pain, and feeling exhausted, he lay back on the couch, “do not be so rough. This body of mine is very fragile.”
His voice was hoarse.
Qin Xuanqi did not answer. He leaned over, bracing himself on the couch, pressing Qin Duoye underneath him. His phoenix eyes narrowed dangerously, “I do not like being disobeyed.”
Qin Duoye looked up at him, “So?”
“You promised to be my sharp blade, so do not bite the hand that feeds you. Regarding your behavior in court today, I am very displeased…” As he spoke, Qin Xuanqi reached out and flicked off Qin Duoye’s hair crown. His ink-black hair cascaded down. His fingers traced a path from the top of his head, down his cheek, across his chin, and followed the curve of his neck. Finally, they hooked onto his collar and gave a light tug, revealing smooth skin, with his collarbone hiding just beneath the edge of his clothes.
Qin Duoye grabbed Qin Xuanqi’s mischievous hand, “Your Majesty, what are you doing?”
Qin Xuanqi suddenly turned his hand, restraining Qin Duoye’s wrist, pressing it above his head. He lowered his head and bit into Qin Duoye’s collarbone.
His body stiffened instantly. He raised his other hand, curling his fingers, and slammed his elbow hard into the chest of the person above him.
Last time, it was because I was caught off guard. You are doing it again, you damn bastard?
Caught off guard, Qin Xuanqi took the blow to his chest and let out a muffled cough, stepping back two paces.
Grinding his teeth, he took a sharp breath, “You really do not hold back…”
“Your Majesty, please show some self-respect.” Qin Duoye straightened his clothes, his face cold, his voice frosty.
Is he a reincarnation of a dog, biting people like this?
“Gou Hongyang, bring the meal.” However, regardless of everything, having bitten Qin Duoye, Qin Xuanqi’s mood clearly improved. He didn’t care whether Qin Duoye treated him as an Emperor; that didn’t matter.
Qin Duoye stood before the bronze mirror, trying to re-tie his hair crown, which had been left messy by the dog.
Suddenly, Qin Xuanqi leaned over from behind and snatched the crown from his hand.
Qin Duoye turned back, frowning, and saw Qin Xuanqi seemingly studying how to put the thing on. Seeing Qin Duoye turn around, he pressed him back down in front of the mirror.
“I will tie your hair for you. Just sit.”
Qin Duoye sat down, accepting the service as if it were natural, looking like the true master of the palace.
The large hands smoothed his hair, then suddenly turned, then tied a knot, messily stabbed the pin in, and reached further down.
Qin Duoye’s hair was being pulled painfully. He reached up and swatted away Qin Xuanqi’s hand, snatching back the crown, “If you do not know how, stop making a mess of it!”
Gou Hongyang entered with the lunch tray. His eyes widened, and he lowered his head, hurriedly setting the table and driving everyone else out of the hall as he retreated.
The two sat at the table. Qin Xuanqi placed a piece of sugar-soaked lotus root in Qin Duoye’s bowl, “Your luggage has been moved to the Qinglu Palace by the Xuan-Yi Guard.”
“Hmm.” Qin Duoye didn’t speak while eating.
After lunch, Qin Duoye didn’t hesitate; he reached out and downed the bowl of pitch-black medicinal soup. Then he set the bowl down and prepared to leave Hanzhang Hall.
This kid is not quite right. It is better to keep my distance.
Suddenly, a warm touch brushed his lips. Qin Xuanqi reached out and stuffed something into his mouth.
A trace of sweetness spread through his mouth.
This is?
Qin Duoye’s eyes widened slightly.
“Honeyed dates.” Qin Xuanqi propped his chin with his hand, his finger sweeping across Qin Duoye’s lips as he asked, “Now, is the medicine still bitter?”