This was only a dream.
In the dream, he and Nineteen were still at their best, Nineteen was still gentle and obedient to him, and he still had absolute control over Nineteen.
Shang Yinyu’s sleepiness had not faded, and he groped by feel.
His nails were well trimmed, so even going into the fragile inside would not scratch a person. Nineteen lying beside him meant he had taken Nineteen last night, and Nineteen was still in a state where he could accommodate him at any moment, with no need to use any aids.
Many thoughts slid hazily through Shang Yinyu’s mind.
Sometimes he felt he was on the dragon couch in Ganlu Palace, with the shadow guard Nineteen on night duty for him in his arms; sometimes he felt he was in the detached villa he had granted to Qiao Beiji, with Qiao Beiji, about to part from him for the front line, before him.
Shang Yinyu pressed close, and only then found that he was actually wearing a sleeping robe, so he had to wrestle with the sash first.
The person in his arms had his back to him. Shang Yinyu held the other with one hand and dealt with the obstacle with the other.
He could feel the other’s muscles tense like a stone, the skin hot as if about to burn, and the heart beating very fast.
Shang Yinyu chuckled and said: “Beiji, today you’re leaving the imperial city. Can you still ride a horse?”
I’m this vigorous; Qiao Beiji could only beg for mercy, so naturally he can’t ride a horse.
Shang Yinyu was pleased with his dream and in a good mood, and his hands did not know restraint.
He heard the person in front of him give a muffled grunt, and say in a slightly unsteady tone: “Master, this subordinate has no outside mission today and is not leaving the imperial city.”
The cool and respectful voice made Shang Yinyu shiver for no reason. He suddenly opened his eyes and saw in the light filling the room the bright yellow brocade quilt, and that he was gripping Nineteen’s hand.
The Begonia Bath, Nineteen, rebirth… Shang Yinyu’s brain, wrapped in layers of fog, cleared in an instant.
Shang Yinyu had no thoughts left. He hurriedly let go and backed away, his fingertips carelessly brushing Nineteen. Nineteen showed hardly any reaction, but Shang Yinyu was so startled that he rolled from the head of the bed to the foot.
The commotion alarmed Nineteen, who quickly got up too. “Master?”
Shang Yinyu cowered at the foot of the bed, fumbling to tie his open sleeping robe. Seeing Nineteen about to come serve him, he hurriedly said: “Stay there and don’t move! I’ll sort out my thoughts and then explain to you!”
“This subordinate…” Nineteen withdrew his hand and sat quietly kneeling on the brocade quilt. “Obeys.”
An Dezhong, waiting outside, heard the noise, flicked his whisk, and walked in.
When he reached the screen and saw a corner of the dragon couch, he was about to speak when a soft pillow flew out from inside and landed at his feet, giving An Dezhong’s heart a great fright.
“Get out! All of you out!”
The emperor’s angry voice came out. An Dezhong hurriedly kowtowed, picked up the soft pillow at his feet, and withdrew.
This time what was thrown out was a soft pillow. He feared that if he withdrew too late, the next thing smashed out would be that mutton-fat jade pillow, and his old bones could not take being hit.
Hearing the door close outside, Shang Yinyu’s mood calmed a bit. When he turned his head, he saw Nineteen, every muscle tense.
When Nineteen saw him look over, he did not relax; instead he bent forward directly, his forehead knocking against the brocade quilt.
“Nineteen, I wasn’t yelling at you.”
Shang Yinyu wanted to help Nineteen up, but remembering what he had done to Nineteen, he hurriedly looked around the dragon couch and found the white inner garment he had tossed aside last night.
“Nineteen, put on your clothes first.” Shang Yinyu placed the clothes in front of Nineteen.
“Yes.” Nineteen kowtowed, straightened up and took the clothes.
While waiting for Nineteen to finish dressing, Shang Yinyu organized his words in his heart, his eyes following the movements of Nineteen’s hands.
Only when he glimpsed the place on Nineteen that had changed from his pinching did he belatedly think that perhaps he should not be staring at someone like this.
It was just that he had gotten used to looking in the past, and for the moment he did not feel there was anything wrong with his gaze.
Shang Yinyu pretended to be calm and turned to look elsewhere. Listening to the sound of fabric rubbing beside him, he said: “Nineteen, actually… it’s very common for good brothers to sleep hugging each other.”
Believe me, I really have only brotherly feeling for you, the kind of whatever-ism, and no other thoughts.
Hearing no answer from Nineteen, Shang Yinyu worried that he did not equate with “brother” at all in Nineteen’s heart, and added:
“It’s the same with rulers and ministers or masters and servants on good terms. When awake, they discuss the affairs of the world together, and when tired, they sleep on the same couch. It’s perfectly normal.”
The rubbing of fabric stopped, and Shang Yinyu heard Nineteen’s low voice:
“This subordinate understands. This subordinate is willing to die for Master.”
Shang Yinyu let out a breath. “As long as Nineteen understands my meaning.”
I don’t want you to die for me either. From now on just be a good general and don’t stretch your hand into my palace.
Nineteen was already dressed. Shang Yinyu found two bottles of mild wound medicine in the hidden cabinet at the head of the bed and handed them to Nineteen.
Seeing Nineteen take the medicine bottles and look at him in puzzlement, Shang Yinyu coughed dryly and said: “I tend to pinch people in my dreams, and I hurt you. Go back and apply some medicine and rest well. For these days, you need not come on night duty.”
Nineteen’s hand holding the medicine bottles tightened slightly, and he mumbled: “It doesn’t hurt.” No need to rest.
“What?” Shang Yinyu didn’t catch it.
A subject may not look directly at the ruler’s face. Nineteen looked down at the emperor’s slender fingers resting on the brocade quilt and said: “Master favored this subordinate. This subordinate does not feel pain and does not need rest.”
Shang Yinyu almost jumped in shock. “I did not favor you!”
You can’t just say anything! I only rubbed against you! It didn’t go in!
Nineteen’s body went stiff and his lips moved. “Yes, this subordinate understands.”
Shang Yinyu, afraid Nineteen would misunderstand, grabbed Nineteen’s arm with one hand and, looking sincerely at his lowered brows and eyes, said: “Nineteen, touching is not favoring. I did not do that to you, and I will not do that to you in the future. You can be at ease.”
Nineteen bent forward and, under Shang Yinyu’s gaze, kowtowed respectfully, a barely noticeable tremor in his voice, and said: “Master, Nineteen is in some pain. Nineteen wants to go back and apply medicine.”
Shang Yinyu looked at Nineteen for a while, slowly released the hand holding Nineteen, and nodded. “Go back and rest. If there is anything you need, come find me again.”
“This subordinate takes his leave.” Nineteen saluted and got off the couch, his figure flashed, and he vanished from the spot.
Shang Yinyu sat on the bed and looked up at the beams. There was nothing there, and a sudden emptiness rose in his heart.
The Nineteen who would deliberately show his figure when I looked up searching would never exist again.
Shang Yinyu had the attendants come in to serve him.
An Dezhong led in the eunuchs who attended washing, and there was only His Majesty on the dragon couch.
His Majesty did not mention Shadow Nineteen, and An Dezhong did not dare to ask. He took it that last night in the bedchamber His Majesty had simply slept soundly, and the shadow guards had kept watch on night duty as usual.
·
Shang Yinyu was inexplicably irritable all day, and the more he read the memorials the more he wanted to call those ministers over and smash the memorials in their faces.
He opened a new one, from how long ago, with Minister Sun still memorializing that women taking the imperial examinations was the greatest absurdity under heaven.
Shang Yinyu called An Dezhong over and had An Dezhong put this memorial away.
He would wait two years, until Minister Sun’s granddaughter took the top place in the examinations, and when the old man invited the assembled court officials to celebrate and his tail was up in the sky, he would smash this memorial in the old man’s face.
An Dezhong tremblingly put away the memorial, thinking that with Minister Sun remembered by His Majesty like this, the Sun family was probably finished.
With this memorial, Shang Yinyu became interested too and decided to bring out the court officials’ dark histories one by one and keep them.
An Dezhong watched the emperor turn up and pick out memorial after memorial, and nervously served the emperor a cup of tea. Seeing the young eunuch at his side anxiously peering around, he hurried out to scold him.
“Insolent! Is the imperial study somewhere you can approach?” An Dezhong pulled the young eunuch farther away and swung his whisk at him.
“Godfather, go easy. Isn’t it that I have something to report to you?”
“What is it?”
The young eunuch, covering the sore spots and sucking in breath, said: “The pets that the overseas merchants presented to the Empress Dowager last time have run off.”
An Dezhong was silent for a moment and said: “If pets of Shou’an Palace run off, the people of Shou’an Palace should go look for them themselves. What are you reporting it here for?”
The relationship between the emperor and the Empress Dowager had always been cold. An Dezhong had served in the Empress Dowager’s palace for three years when she was still the Empress.
After that, the present emperor was born, and he was sent to serve the young emperor and had served him all the way until now. He knew well that the relationship between the emperor and the Empress Dowager was hard to reconcile and had no wish to stick a foot in it.
The young eunuch said weakly: “A palace maid saw the pet run toward the imperial study.”
One that ran toward the imperial study would not do. An Dezhong could not let His Majesty be disturbed by a pet, and asked: “Tell me which one was lost, and I’ll have people look for it.”
Those merchants had brought several cages of birds and beasts, and all of them had been given by His Majesty to Shou’an Palace to keep the Empress Dowager and the various dowager consorts company. It was An Dezhong himself who delivered them, and he remembered all their appearances, only not which one had run off.
“The Auntie from Shou’an Palace said it was a white cat, with gray tabby stripes on its head, and also said… that it was somewhat bigger than an ordinary cat.”
An Dezhong thought for a long time and could not remember what cat that was. On hearing it was big, he was suddenly alarmed: that fierce beast more than a meter long was being called a cat!
It’s going to be the death of us! Letting out a beast like that from its cage!
An Dezhong hurried back to the imperial study, wanting to have His Majesty issue a decree for him to deploy a squad of Imperial Guards to search.
The moment he stepped into the imperial study, An Dezhong saw a big cat with long white fur and gray tabby stripes on its head leap in through the window placed behind the emperor’s side.
“Protect the emperor!” An Dezhong cried out and was about to go forward to shield His Majesty when he felt a black shadow sweep past him.
Shang Yinyu looked up in puzzlement and happened to see the shadow guard Nineteen sweeping toward him.
“Nineteen?”
“Meow-woo!”