After the door closed, the air, filled with the pungent smell of medicine, became more compressed and suffocating.
When Rong Juan bumped into Xie Yanzhou earlier, the rustling sound of clothes rubbing as he stepped back made his slightly built muscles tense up.
The door was blocked by a tall figure. In front, Xue Ren grinned, revealing two sharp canine teeth.
“This medicinal soup took a lot of effort to get. It even uses medicinal materials from my master’s collection. You won’t waste it, right?”
Xue Ren’s master’s private collection wasn’t something the precious medicinal materials in the Prime Minister’s manor could compare to.
Wolf in front, tiger behind; threats and moral kidnapping came together.
In his mind, the System was unexpectedly excited: [Little Rong, Little Rong! I detected unrecorded medicinal materials. This ancient medicine really has some tricks! Incredible, too incredible!]
[Go in.]
[Little Rong, one small step for you, one giant leap for mankind.]
What does a giant leap for mankind have to do with me?
Rong Juan made a last struggle: “I’m used to bathing alone.”
Alone, he could at least soak for a shorter time.
Xue Ren waved his hand ruthlessly.
He seriously emphasized again that someone must watch over him; otherwise, if he fainted, there would be no reaction time at all.
Rong Juan knew this was goodwill. The preparation of the medicinal bath didn’t happen overnight, and favors were invoked along the way. He couldn’t waste the finished product to feed the bird, could he?
Wait, why did I think of drugging the bird?
Finally, Rong Juan took a small step, looking as if he were facing death.
Xue Ren still had a pile of things to handle. After explaining the key points, he prepared to leave.
Turning around, he found Xie Yanzhou still standing in the shadows, neither calling servants in nor seeming to leave. He froze for a moment.
Don’t tell me he plans to guard here alone?
Xue Ren didn’t ask his question in the end. Asking about such a small matter would be overstepping.
The door closed again after a brief opening.
Rong Juan stood dazed in front of the tub that was almost as tall as he was.
No one bathed with clothes on, but taking them off in front of Xie Yanzhou felt a bit weird. Rong Juan was a person with a strong sense of privacy, which was why he could get along with a system that liked to sleep and go AFK year-round.
Seeming to understand what he was thinking, Xie Yanzhou turned his back proactively.
Rong Juan breathed a sigh of relief, quickly took off his clothes, threw them aside casually, took a deep breath, and went straight into the water.
As soon as he went down, the breath was gone.
Gurgle gurgle.
A large hand fished him up immediately.
Pain.
It hurt like hell.
As soon as he opened his mouth, his teeth chattered: “Der der der der~”
Hearing a string of “der” sounds, Xie Yanzhou was both amused and angry: “Weren’t you quite brave when deliberately vomiting blood?”
Sure enough, keeping a cold face earlier was because he was displeased about the blood vomiting.
Too late to think more, Rong Juan grabbed Xie Yanzhou’s hard arm with both hands, leaning almost half his body over, wanting to leave the medicine tub.
At this moment, he looked as pitiful as one could imagine.
“Must soak for the time of one incense stick.” Xie Yanzhou’s voice softened slightly.
Rong Juan was about to lose strength, forcing his eyes open to intimidate him. He was perfectly fine; this was truly an “undeserved catastrophe.”
Why force me to take a medicinal bath! Why forcibly extend my life!
Why!!!
This question was a bit unreasonable, but Xie Yanzhou’s emotions were very stable, and his answer was even more unreasonable: “I’m doing this for your own good.”
“…”
In the life-extending medicine tub, Rong Juan clung to Xie Yanzhou’s arm like a beaver. Angry as he was, he didn’t want to experience sinking and choking on medicine water again.
His entire heart and lungs were burning.
The light penetrating the window paper and the room’s darkness intertwined to create an illusion of flickering light.
One desperately climbed up, and the other had excellent eyesight. For a moment, Xie Yanzhou saw everything clearly, from the collarbone to the two red points further down, and even the blood mole on the chest.
The person clinging tightly to his arm was treating him as the only reliance.
Xie Yanzhou appeared normal, but his eyes gradually darkened.
Only when their gazes met inadvertently did Xie Yanzhou look away.
A man’s chuunibyou pride flared up. Rong Juan interpreted that excessive gaze as: He thinks I’m small!
Suffering from a lack of an outlet to vent, Rong Juan freed a hand to grope around blindly. Feeling the belt draped aside, he flung it forward forcefully.
However, the attack power of this whip was zero.
Seeing the long silk belt flung over, Xie Yanzhou misunderstood Rong Juan’s meaning.
He thought he was being told not to look, so he casually tied it, blindfolding his eyes with the belt.
Rong Juan: “?”
Is it that unsightly!
Soaking for a long time forced out some of the cold poison in his body. Rong Juan gradually became delirious.
The detoxification process caused a low fever. Although Xue Ren said it was normal, Xie Yanzhou was still somewhat worried and fished Rong Juan out early.
Blindfolded didn’t affect his agile movements. He quickly and precisely wiped the water off Rong Juan’s body.
“Cold…”
Rong Juan felt cold all over, pressing against the only heat source, his rapid breath spraying on the Adam’s apple of the person above.
Throughout the process, water dripped from Rong Juan’s hair tips. Xie Yanzhou’s robe was soaked, instantly wrinkling. During his years in the army, he had soaked in sewage pools, but never was he more embarrassed than now.
Xie Yanzhou’s expression was strange.
Rong Juan was still rubbing against the source of warmth. Before losing control, Xie Yanzhou covered him with the quilt and strode out the door.
The force of closing the door was a bit strong. The personal guard immediately came over to check.
Xie Yanzhou waved his hand, dismissing them, standing there with a dark face to catch the breeze.
Men from large families had maids fighting to climb into their beds at fourteen. Since he was ten, assassins have been trying to assassinate him, non-stop every month, different every day.
He had a physiological vigilance and disgust towards others approaching, let alone intimacy.
Why just now…
“Senior Brother asked me to come and ask about the medicinal bath…” Just then, a figure suddenly walked in from outside the courtyard.
Xue Ying saw Xie Yanzhou’s unnatural complexion and asked subconsciously, “Are you uncomfortable somewhere?”
Xie Yanzhou only talked about Rong Juan’s condition.
Hearing this, Xue Ying’s eyes lit up: “Normal phenomenon. A low fever means the medicine is working well for him. Did he vomit blood?”
Xie Yanzhou shook his head. Hearing the words “vomit blood,” the heat on his body subsided a bit.
Thinking of the culprit who caused Rong Juan to vomit blood today, he narrowed his eyes and said, “Tell the one in the palace to speed up.”
Han Kui had stayed in the position of Imperial Guard Commander long enough.
Xue Ying froze. According to the original plan, it would be safer to delay for another half month. But since Xie Yanzhou gave the order, she only needed to execute it: “Yes.”
…
Night, Imperial Palace.
A faint incense permeated the room. On the dragon bed, a hand suddenly reached up, making a pushing gesture.
“No, don’t kill me, go away, go away—”
The Emperor, wearing bright yellow inner clothes, sat up abruptly, eyes bloodshot, waking up from a nightmare.
Palace servants and inner attendants ran over one after another, then were driven away.
The Empress also woke up, daring not speak, just gently stroking the Emperor’s back to soothe him.
After a long while, she said, “Did you dream of Prince Kang again?”
Prince Kang was the first prince eliminated after the Emperor ascended the throne, dying tragically by forced self-immolation.
The Emperor looked sharply at the Empress, his eyes fierce. The last thing he wanted to hear now was anything related to Prince Kang. His hand, veins bulging, gripped the corner of the quilt tightly. “Tomorrow I will issue a decree for the Ministry of Rites to prepare for the sacrifice to heaven.”
The Empress frowned: “Preparing for the sacrifice takes months at least, half a year at most. It cannot solve Your Majesty’s urgent need.”
He needed a solution, not disobedience.
Full of anger with nowhere to vent, the Emperor knocked over the water brought by the inner attendant with a wave of his sleeve, raging: “Do I not know that!”
The Empress approached. The fragrance emitted by her smoked clothes calmed the Emperor slightly.
Pretending to think, she asked hesitantly, “Has Your Majesty heard the story of the Door Gods?”
The Emperor took the water she handed over again, looking thoughtful.
There were too many stories about Door Gods, but the most famous one was a folk legend.
“Legend has it that Emperor Taizong often dreamt of vengeful spirits claiming his life at night, causing insomnia.” The Empress said softly, “At that time, two generals volunteered to stand guard outside the door in armor every night, and Taizong could sleep peacefully. Now that Your Majesty is troubled by nightmares, why not follow suit?”
The Emperor couldn’t help holding her hand, thinking it more feasible the more he thought about it.
This happiness didn’t last a few seconds before turning into dissatisfaction with a specific person.
Generals of the previous dynasty knew how to volunteer. He had nightmares for so long, yet as the Imperial Guard Commander, Han Kui didn’t react at all.
At this time, the Empress also complained slightly: “Even this concubine could think of it. Commander Han is too careless.”
The Emperor held her hand without speaking.
After a long while, he sneered: “Whether he didn’t think of it or was lazy is hard to say.”
As for Xie Yanzhou, the Emperor was wary of him and didn’t consider him at all.
Xie Yanzhou standing at the palace gate in armor—that itself would be a nightmare!
As the direct person responsible for the safety of the Imperial City, this debt was naturally recorded on Han Kui’s account.
…
The Imperial City didn’t lack fresh news. Recently, two things have been most talked about by the people.
One was Imperial Guard Commander Han Kui being called to guard the door for the Emperor.
The public dared not discuss the reason for the excessive guarding. Anyway, the result was obvious: the Emperor really stopped having nightmares.
Some high-ranking officials and nobles also followed suit, pasting Door God pictures at home.
However, none of the common people pasted them. They disliked Han Kui deeply.
This also brings up the other hot topic: Rong Juan spitting blood in the street out of anger.
Without much embellishment from the Superintendent Bureau, the scene on the street was told truthfully.
Listeners were all shocked.
Storytellers even secretly adapted it into the story “Spitting Three Liters of Blood for a Vendor,” which was both critically acclaimed and popular.
While eating, the wife of a petty official from the Ministry of Rites asked tentatively, “How is that Lord who was promoted exceptionally in the office recently?”
The petty official was busy eating: “Why ask this? He’s on sick leave.”
As soon as these words came out, his wife, old father, old mother, and the whole family put down their chopsticks, worried.
After a long while, the old father sighed: “This Lord Rong has worked hard.”
The petty official who had worked overtime for two days: “…”
Where is the hard work in claiming sick leave and idling in the manor every day?
…
Rong Juan felt he was the hardest-working person in the world.
After finishing the medicinal bath on the first day, he happily received seven more days!
How miserable was soaking in medicine? It seemed even Xie Yanzhou couldn’t stand his miserable state. Every time he guarded by the side, he deliberately turned his head away, his whole stance looking very tense.
“No more soaking, no more soaking. If I soak more, I’ll sprout.”
Another day, when Xie Yanzhou pushed the door open, Rong Juan hugged the bedpost tightly, swearing not to leave.
Beautiful people are beautiful no matter what.
Even with disheveled hair, exposing his ankles in an ungraceful posture, he had the illusion of “abused beauty.”
Xie Yanzhou forced his eyes away from Rong Juan’s open collar: “Xue Ren said the medicinal bath is paused. You need to rest for half a month.”
Rong Juan observed the other party’s expression carefully. Confirming it wasn’t a delaying tactic, he finally ended the koala hug.
“That’s good.” He collapsed on the bed exhausted, mentioning another matter: “Tomorrow I’m going to Guanyue Tower.”
During this time, the System was old but vigorous.
Not only did it have to copy storybooks for Gu Wen every three days, but it was also sent out from time to time to inquire about matters related to Song Mingzhi.
Nearly ten days passed, and finally, it found a useful piece of news—Song Mingzhi would go to Guanyue Tower soon.
Guanyue Tower was built by the Emperor’s sister, Princess Zeyang. Every first and fifteenth of the month, students from the Imperial College, scholars who came early from other places to prepare for the spring exam, retainers of various families, etc., often gathered here for competitions.
Everyone’s goal was clear: to make a name for themselves.
If these scholars were lucky enough, they had a chance to enter the vision of some officials, thereby gaining the opportunity to submit visiting cards and fight for quotas as students.
To further expand its influence, Guanyue Tower often invited renowned scholars to lend the scene its weight. They had sent Song Mingzhi invitations several times before.
This time, Song Mingzhi finally relented and agreed to go tomorrow.
“At that time, I plan to go in my BMW carriage and challenge him to a competition.”
Xie Yanzhou raised an eyebrow: “You personally competing with Song Mingzhi?”
Rong Juan nodded, asking lazily: “Guess what I want to compete with him in?”
Anyone else hearing Rong Juan wanted to compete with Song Mingzhi would laugh their teeth out, but Xie Yanzhou didn’t.
He was very sure the young man before him was smart, just a bit lazy.
If he wanted to compete, he would definitely choose the least effortless thing.
So when Rong Juan asked proudly, Xie Yanzhou gave the answer almost without thinking: “Competing in beauty.”
“…”
“You are very beautiful; how can Song Mingzhi compare to you?” Xie Yanzhou calmly delivered the judgment.
“…”
Rong Juan stared at him for a few seconds, then sat up.
This was an astonishingly big move, because once he lay down, he usually stayed there for at least fifteen minutes. Now it hadn’t even been two minutes.
A pale hand reached for Xie Yanzhou’s forehead.
Xie Yanzhou moved slightly but didn’t dodge in the end.
Body temperature is normal.
Then why did he praise my beauty for no reason?
That can only be because…
“I was beautiful to begin with.”
Rong Juan could sometimes be amused by his own cold jokes. After this incident, he briefly forgot the soreness of his skin.
The medicinal bath was very helpful for the body, but all medicine is partly poison. Xue Ren’s master had modified the formula extensively, essentially causing no harm to his internal organs.
The side effect was muscle soreness and skin sensitivity for a long time.
It was hot today, and a red rash appeared on his back immediately.
He rubbed against the bed twice just now. Wonder if he rubbed it raw somewhere; it felt itchy.
As Rong Juan reached out to knock on his back, Xie Yanzhou’s tone suddenly became serious: “You want Song Mingzhi to switch sides?”
There are two ways to make people submit sincerely.
One is driven by profit, supplemented by character; the other is threatening with things the other party cares about.
Then there would be a lot to do.
Rong Juan’s requirement for things was to get a passing grade. He said lazily: “Changing allegiance is a bit hard. I plan to compromise.”
Before he could say more, the personal guard arrived, standing outside hesitantly.
Xie Yanzhou had to train soldiers later. It was almost time, and the carriage was already waiting at the door.
“Song Mingzhi has lived in the Prime Minister’s manor for at least two years and should know a lot about the big and small matters there. It’s not suitable to have too deep contact with him.”
Leaving a sentence with deep meaning, Xie Yanzhou turned and left.
Only the bird calls of Yi Dian Dian remained in the room.
After a good while, Rong Juan half-stepped on his shoes to feed the sparrow.
The palm-sized sparrow had been raised to be very affectionate. After pecking the food, its head rubbed against Rong Juan’s cool fingertips.
“Not suitable for deep contact?”
Clearly, the more Song Mingzhi knew about the Prime Minister’s manor, the more beneficial it would be for Xie Yanzhou. He should be instigating him to get closer.
This anti-logical reminder only had one possibility: Xie Yanzhou thought it would be dangerous for him to approach Song Mingzhi.
Gu Wen often followed the Prime Minister and would only care about valuable people.
Song Mingzhi was different. With more contact, he might discover that he and the original host were two different people.
Then what was Xie Yanzhou, who reminded him, thinking?
The System’s AI flowed smoothly for a rare moment.
[Xie Yanzhou didn’t discover you changed chips, did he?]
Rong Juan didn’t correct it that in human language, this was called a soul, just as he was too lazy to play another person from beginning to end.
“Anyway, the shell hasn’t changed. Whoever suspects has no evidence.”
After speaking, he lay on the bed again, sprawled out, fighting the itch on his back.
During this time, Rong Juan showed no intention of catching up on sleep, his open eyes staring quietly at the head of the bed, wondering what he was thinking.
The next day was another sunny one.
The steward, at Xie Yanzhou’s order, brought a bottle of soothing anti-itch ointment.
Rong Juan applied it; it worked wonders, and he instantly became happy.
“Thank the General for saving my fish life.”
The ointment probably contained mint ingredients. Applied to the back, it was cool and soothing. Finally, he didn’t have to rub against the bed like a dried fish.
After waiting a bit for the medicine to take full effect, Rong Juan got up to change clothes. It was the fifteenth today; time to meet Song Mingzhi.
However, before that, a small problem needed to be solved.
Rong Juan called the Tao brothers, Tao Wen and Tao Yong. “I’m going out later and don’t want to be followed by Han Kui anymore. Is there any way to hoodwink him?”
Last time, inducing vomiting already cost him enough. Plus, if Han Kui tattled to the Right Prime Minister and Rong Chenglin sent someone to disrupt the situation, it might ruin his good deed.
Tao Wen: “Rest assured, my Lord. Han Kui can hardly protect himself now.”
Rong Juan looked up in confusion.
“My Lord doesn’t know. Han Kui has been following His Majesty recently and probably lacks energy.”
Tao Wen detailed Han Kui’s encounter.
Hearing the story of the new generation Door God, Rong Juan was amused: “He really went to guard the door for someone.”
Good dog.
Rong Juan recalled passing the study that day when Xie Yanzhou mentioned the Imperial Guard Commander. The whole thing probably couldn’t be separated from him.
This move was too damaging. Wasn’t this training an eagle by not letting it sleep?
Don’t train the person to death.
Thinking of this, Rong Juan seemed to grasp a key point. After enduring for a while, even if Han Kui suddenly died “accidentally” one day, people probably wouldn’t find it strange.
“His Majesty will only think this person is useless and will even be angry.”
The Emperor was fatuous. Not angering and punishing the family would be good.
Rong Juan clicked his tongue twice. He now suspected Xie Yanzhou was the truly black-bellied one. Being able to think of such a method of torture was simply… awesome!
Tao Wen asked tentatively: “My Lord is going out today to…”
Rong Juan didn’t answer, already starting to move: “Go, follow me to continuously develop market renewable resources.”
He wanted to give every retainer of the Prime Minister’s manor a home.
Author’s Note:
Unofficial History:
The Empress, cruel methods, yet the Emperor likes her.