Soft cloud-brocade wrapped around him, and the pleasant scent of True Aloeswood enveloped his nose.
Qin Duoye opened his eyes and saw the exact same scene as when he first woke up in this spacetime.
The bed curtains were embroidered with winter jasmine and cloud patterns.
Very well. The future Emperor had fished him out of the prison. Presumably, he wouldn’t investigate his reckless behavior of pinning him down twice anymore.
Just like last time he fell asleep, this period of unconsciousness brought back another of Wen Qinghe’s memories.
This weak scholar had fallen gravely ill. He sought medical help and exhausted all his savings, managing to hold on for a while. His modest salary could not cover the high cost of medicine; expenses outpaced income, and with no money left to buy remedies, his condition steadily deteriorated.
No wonder his mouth tasted so bitter when he first woke up. It had been the taste of medicine.
Qin Duoye deduced that the soul belonging to Wen Qinghe had already died and dissipated when the upheaval in the imperial court occurred.
Yet, for some reason, his own soul, belonging to a former emperor of several generations past, had not gone to reincarnation, but had instead awakened in this body.
Was this the heavens giving him a chance to look after affairs left behind?
“Awake?”
Qin Xuanqiao’s voice came from beside the bed.
Qin Duoye lay there peacefully, his body sinking into the soft cloud-brocade, showing no intention of getting up to pay respects. He simply stared at the curtains and nodded, “Mn, I’m awake.”
“Your health is so good you almost died, esteemed official.” Qin Xuanqiao let out a huff, though he didn’t bicker over Qin Duoye’s lack of decorum.
Such a sweet mouth, just like it was coated in honey.
Qin Duoye replied, “Thank you for the praise.”
Gou Hongyang happened to walk over carrying a medicine bowl at that moment. Hearing this exchange, he hurriedly lowered his eyes, focusing entirely on his nose and heart.
“To exhaust your family fortune for medical treatment, Wen Qing, I don’t believe you care nothing about your illness, nor do I believe you aren’t afraid of dying.”
Qin Xuanqiao took the medicine bowl from Gou Hongyang, looked at Qin Duoye’s pale complexion, and said, “The imperial physician says your pulse is faint, like a dead man’s.”
Qin Duoye: “…”
“The physician expressed deep astonishment that you could violently leap up from the bed the other day and walk all the way to the Punishment Bureau with Qingxuan. He even hoped I would hand you over to the Imperial Hospital for research.”
Qin Duoye propped himself up, staring at the pitch-black bowl of medicine: “…”
Qin Xuanqiao suddenly reached out to cup Qin Duoye’s chin, pulling him closer, and whispered, “Wen Qing, what else are you hiding from me?”
“I was indeed ill.” Qin Duoye hadn’t fully absorbed Wen Qinghe’s memory, so he thought for a moment and began spouting nonsense. “That burst of vitality was probably a final flash before death? And then, just as I was about to truly die, Your Majesty saved me, and the palace physicians possessed miraculous skills, preserving this official’s life from the King of Hell?”
Qin Xuanqiao gave a cold snort, let go of him, and handed over the medicine bowl.
Qin Duoye took it, tilted his head back, and downed it in one gulp.
It tasted damn bitter. Better a short bitterness than a long one.
Qin Duoye grimaced from the bitterness, his brows tightly knitted together.
Qin Xuanqiao suddenly wanted to tease the person before him: “This single bowl of medicine costs enough for a whole year of your salary.”
Qin Duoye opened his eyes, stared at Qin Xuanqiao for two seconds, and made a motion to bring the bowl back to his mouth, preparing to spit out the medicine he hadn’t swallowed because of the intense bitterness.
“You dare!” Qin Xuanqiao frowned, quickly reaching out to cover Qin Duoye’s mouth. “Swallow it.”
Gulp.
The bitter, thick medicinal liquid slid down his throat.
Qin Duoye frowned, gripping the medicine bowl tightly until his knuckles turned white. It took a good while for him to suppress the surging bitterness in his mouth and gradually ease the nauseous, vomiting sensation brought on by the extreme taste.
Without ceremony, he grabbed Qin Xuanqiao’s wrist, shoved the bowl back at him, and didn’t want to look at the thing for another second.
“Your Majesty, did you agree to what I said in the cell?”
Qin Xuanqiao stared at the bowl forcibly shoved into his hands for a few seconds, ultimately saying nothing. He tossed the medicine bowl to Gou Hongyang and asked, “What position do you want?”
So he had agreed.
Qin Duoye laughed softly. Why was this young Emperor so awkward when answering questions directly? He always had to take a detour and make people use their brains just to speak.
Qin Duoye didn’t hesitate at all: “Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.”
“You sure have an ambitious appetite, Wen Qing.” Qin Xuanqiao raised an eyebrow, looking down with amused interest at the pale-faced civil official.
Never had anyone dared to ask for something so shamelessly and expressionlessly in front of him.
Either they were panic-stricken, full of calculations, or weeping bitterly.
Only this person threw out a demand so casually, as if he were a natural superior whose only job was to raise a problem, leaving the rest to subordinates to execute without fail.
Qin Duoye looked back unblinkingly, meeting those narrow, gloomy phoenix eyes. He merely curved his lips faintly, his eyes harboring a touch of benevolent encouragement.
In truth, the position of Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Personnel was carefully selected by Qin Duoye. If the official ranks hadn’t changed drastically from his past life, this role suited him best right now.
Censor of the Censorate was rank five-lower; the Assistant Ministers of the Six Ministries were rank three-regular.
It fell right on the edge of the minor court audience. Though the Assistant Minister held a low rank, the authority was high, carrying the duty of supervising the department. He could review all documents and memorials of his branch and had the power to directly access the inner court and see the Emperor. If utilized well, there was immense room to maneuver.
He chose the Ministry of Personnel because Qin Duoye was in a rush and completely lacked Wen Qinghe’s memories.
Even if those memories might slowly surface in his dreams, given the cowardly nature of this minor official, if a real storm broke out, he wouldn’t be able to access much key information amidst the Empress and Consort selection turmoil.
Therefore, he needed a place where he could inspect the official files of the court: the Ministry of Personnel.
“Gou Hongyang,” Qin Xuanqiao called out, “Go have the Secretariat draft an imperial edict promoting Censor of the Censorate Wen Qinghe to Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.”
Qin Duoye widened his eyes slightly.
He hadn’t expected there to be no haggling; approval came instantly.
Perhaps the Emperor needed a blade even more than he imagined?
Qin Duoye immediately probed further: “Then can I have the Minister of Personnel?”
“Don’t push your luck.” Qin Xuanqiao said in a deep voice.
“Alright, Assistant Minister it is. I won’t be picky.”
Qin Xuanqiao: “…”
You even dared to be picky!
Seeing that the two of them had finished talking, Gou Hongyang finally stepped forward, holding the bowl with both hands, bowing deeply, and carefully reminding him, “Your Majesty, there is already someone holding the post of Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Personnel…”
“Move him,” Qin Xuanqiao waved a hand. “Just send that person to the Censorate as a Censor.”
Gou Hongyang was dumbfounded.
Qin Duoye was also a bit stunned. He rubbed his temples: “Wait a minute, you just demoted an official like that?”
Qin Xuanqiao asked indifferently in return, “What, is there a problem?”
Hearing Qin Xuanqiao’s tone, Gou Hongyang expertly dropped to his knees.
He knew the Emperor was angry. The best course of action now was to yield to the Emperor’s will, kneel, and plead guilty, hoping that official also knew how to read the room.
A clear voice rang through the bedchamber.
“Of course there is a problem!”
Qin Duoye felt this kid’s administrative capacity as an emperor wasn’t quite practiced yet. That official was doing his job fine and suffered unprovoked disaster; no matter how much they outwardly shouted thanks for imperial grace, they would harbor resentment inside. Over time, it would damage the Emperor’s reputation, you couldn’t afford to lose the hearts of the people.
“Give him a slight promotion, or at the very least a lateral transfer. Then summon him into the palace, have a heart-to-heart chat, and feed him a pie about enhancing your abilities for an immediate promotion to tide him over.”
Qin Duoye spoke with earnest gravity.
Qin Xuanqiao silently stared at Qin Duoye, watching his scattered long hair. Some strands wound around his neck, revealing patches of fair skin amidst the dark locks.
Promotion or no promotion, Qin Xuanqiao didn’t hear a single word.
“I’ll collect some interest first,” Qin Xuanqiao muttered to himself.
Suddenly stepping forward, he planted his knees on the edge of the bed, bent down, and reached out to grip the slightly pale neck of the person before him. Pulling him sharply close, he bit down hard on Qin Duoye’s shoulder and neck.
Qin Duoye: “?!!!”
Qin Duoye shoved Qin Xuanqiao away, retreating in mild panic toward the inner side of the bed. As he moved, a sharp pain shot through his shoulder and neck. He felt as though this mad dog of an Emperor had canine teeth that had pierced his skin.
What the hell, is he a beast?
Curses circled around his lips, but he ultimately swallowed them back.
After all, imperial authority was absolute; some behaviors could be humored and glossed over, but cursing the Emperor, better skip it. It wasn’t necessary yet.
Qin Duoye covered his shoulder and neck, dark eyes flashing with a mix of shock and anger as he stared at Qin Xuanqiao.
“Draft another edict,” Qin Xuanqiao ignored him, turning to Gou Hongyang. “I recall the Ministry of Works is lacking a Left Vice Minister. Transfer the former Assistant Minister over there.”
Gou Hongyang: “Yes.”
“Satisfied?” When Qin Xuanqiao looked back at Qin Duoye, Qin Duoye had already smoothed down his emotions. He let out a slow breath, removed his hand from his shoulder and neck, and nodded to indicate he had no further issues.
Qin Xuanqiao straightened up, his gaze dropping down. The bite mark on the other’s shoulder and neck was already faintly red; a good deal of force had been used, and the impression was slightly swollen, seeping a trace of blood.
Qin Xuanqiao contentedly licked the tip of his tooth.
The two remained silent for a moment, neither bringing up the biting incident again. Qin Duoye spoke first to change the subject, asking, “How long has it been since the last Grand Audience?”
“Three days,” Qin Xuanqiao answered smoothly.
Qin Duoye paused for a fraction of a second, then suddenly looked up at the hazy morning mist outside the window, turning back to stare at Qin Xuanqiao: “What time is it right now?”
“Mao hour, first quarter or so. Why?”
“The morning audience.” Qin Duoye stared gloomily at Qin Xuanqiao: “Today is a minor court audience.”
The Wei Dynasty practiced a system of major and minor court audiences, a major audience every six days, with minor audiences every three days in between, alternating, alongside major assemblies on the first and fifteenth of the lunar month and other important dates.
Today should have been a minor audience.
Yet, long past the hour for the audience to begin, this Emperor was still in his bedchamber and hadn’t gone to work!
“Ah, I forgot,” Qin Xuanqiao curled his lips casually. “Not going.”
Qin Duoye continued to stare: “You can’t do that.”
Qin Xuanqiao: “?”
Qin Duoye: “Go to the morning audience. Even if you’re late, you still have to go. The courtiers are still waiting for you.”
“Hah, it’s not like it’s my first time skipping. They’ll disperse on their own once the assembly time passes,” Qin Xuanqiao said.
Qin Duoye grew somewhat angry.
This mad dog of an Emperor! Promoting and demoting officials at whim, and skipping court sessions just as casually!
So young, yet reeking of a fallen ruler’s aura!
As an elder of the Qin family, or rather, its ancestor, he had to beat this bad habit out of Qin Xuanqiao.
“Your Majesty,” Qin Duoye’s lips tightened straight. “Go to court, go to court, go to court, go to court. Otherwise, I’ll buzz in your ear all day long, go to court, go to court, go to…”
“Tch, fine. I’ll go,” Qin Xuanqiao covered the man’s mouth. He was in a good mood; going to court wasn’t impossible. “Gou Hongyang, bring me my court robes.”
Gou Hongyang shrunk his neck and went to fetch the clothes.
He felt like he must not have woken up yet today, otherwise how could he be witnessing such a bizarre scene?
He inexplicably felt that between his Majesty and that civil official… Gou Hongyang wrung his brains dry without finding a suitable description.
Instead, an image suddenly flashed in his mind. He felt that civil official looked like someone holding a leash in one hand and dried meat in the other, tempting a fierce hound into a trap, smiling on the outside while wanting to tame the beast.
Meanwhile, his own Majesty looked like a green-eyed hound, salivating over the tender human before him. Finding it amusing right now, the Emperor had voluntarily stuck his neck into the trap while constantly eyeing the dog trainer, ready to break free at any moment and tear the person apart to swallow them whole.
A temporary standoff with no clear survivor.
Strange, far too strange.
Gou Hongyang hurriedly shook the image out of his head. Such lèse-majesté would get him killed.