Yu Rongxiu blinked his eyes incredulously, and turned his head to look at Li Shu with a dull expression.
‘Are you kidding me?’
‘Didn’t you say you were bringing a friend over? What does it mean to bring the current Holy Emperor?’
He really wanted to shake his friend’s shoulder. ‘How can you be so calm? Do you know who you’ve brought? It’s the emperor who ascended to the throne with an iron fist, not some random person or ordinary official!’
If he had known his friend was bringing the emperor, he would have…
He couldn’t really do much anyway. Even if he had known it was the emperor coming, he wouldn’t have missed this opportunity. He might not be able to return to the capital for years after this. Before leaving, he had to have a good drink with his friend.
Although it would likely end with him passing out.
Feeling the sharp gaze of His Majesty the new emperor, Yu Rongxiu stiffened and took a few steps back. “Zi Shu, why didn’t you tell me earlier that this person was coming?”
“Didn’t I say this was a surprise?” Li Shu smiled, patted his tightly knotted shoulder, then walked around to sit at the table.
Qi Mingxuan glanced at him then sat down across from Li Shu.
The space here was not large. After Li Shu and Qi Mingxuan sat down facing each other, there was only one seat left between them. Yu Rongxiu walked over, feeling like crying but had no tears.
A surprise? It’s more of a shock than a pleasant surprise! It’s just a drink. Why did you bring the emperor here? !
Wait a minute, if he remembered correctly, Li Shu did indeed say he was bringing a friend. So, if he brought the emperor, does that mean the current emperor and former Prince Qin is Li Shu’s friend?!
These two don’t seem to have much interaction usually, so how did they suddenly become so close?
The drinks were prepared in advance, and Li Shu poured for the three of them. “Here’s to Yu Rongxiu’s smooth career ahead. Cheers.”
“Cheers.”
Three wine glasses clinked together, producing a crisp sound.
After a glass of wine, Yu Rongxiu’s sense of absurdity finally diminished a bit. The emperor was just the emperor, anyway. After all, Zi Shu had said to treat him as an ordinary person today.
Qi Mingxuan didn’t speak much, just quietly drank. Most of the time, it was Li Shu and Yu Rongxiu doing the talking. Occasionally, Li Shu would steer the conversation towards him, and then Qi Mingxuan would say a few words.
Li Shu and Yu Rongxiu could chat about anything under the sun, while Qi Mingxuan just stared at them blankly, or more accurately, at Li Shu. From the moment they sat down, Qi Mingxuan’s gaze had always followed Li Shu, not giving Yu Rongxiu even the slightest attention.
After three rounds of drinks, Yu Rongxiu started to feel a bit drunk. He picked up a peanut and threw it into his mouth. He looked up and suddenly saw Qi Mingxuan pouring wine for Li Shu.
With blank eyes, he followed that pair of distinct knuckles, only to bump into a pair of deep eyes.
!!!
With a thump, Yu Rongxiu felt like he had sobered up. This…this…
He had seen this kind of gaze many times before, a mixture of love and possessiveness. It’s often seen in the eyes of young men infatuated with someone. It’s not that it couldn’t appear in an emperor, but it’s just that the person the emperor looked at was not right.
The emperor was looking at none other than his good friend, Li Shu.
He knew his friend was exceptionally handsome and had an extraordinary temperament. Such a man easily attracted admirers. Not long ago, several matchmakers came to propose marriage, but they were all rejected. At that time, he had mocked his friend for not understanding love, only to receive a casual retort.
And now, what did he discover?!
Did his friend know about the emperor’s feelings?
Even if he did, what could he do? Yu Rongxiu fell silent. Looking at Qi Mingxuan’s behavior, it was obvious that he wouldn’t let go easily. If it were anyone else that had set their sights on his friend other than the emperor, there might have been room for things to turn around. But unfortunately, it was the emperor, the Holy One, the master of this world.
Apart from agreeing or waiting for the emperor’s affection to fade, his friend had no other choice.
He stared for a long time, and Qi Mingxuan seemed to notice it and turned to look at him.
!!!
Facing him, the tenderness in the emperor’s eyes disappeared completely, replaced by bone-chilling coldness. Yu Rongxiu felt a chill rising from the soles of his feet and piercing his bones. He looked away in embarrassment.
He understood the emperor’s meaning.
He was warning him, this was the person he had set his sights on, he better not have any crooked ideas.
Yu Rongxiu smiled bitterly, glanced at his seemingly oblivious friend, and quickly downed the wine in front of him.
The absurd feeling of seeing the emperor finally disappeared. No wonder his friend could bring the emperor here, no wonder the emperor personally poured wine and added dishes for his friend… After understanding this point, all the oddities he had seen today could be explained.
However, what should his friend do?
Who dared to defy the emperor’s will? As long as his friend stays in court, he will have no room for independent choice. If their new emperor was someone who valued mutual consent, it would be manageable. But if not, what should his friend do?
“Xiuyuan, what’s wrong?”
Li Shu’s voice came from above, and Yu Rongxiu realized he had been silent for a long time. Suppressing his various emotions, he poured himself a drink, took a sip, and then said, “I seem to have had a bit too much to drink and feel dizzy. I’ll take a break.”
With Qi Mingxuan’s vigilant gaze beside him, Yu Rongxiu didn’t dare to show anything at this moment. Feeling the gaze on him withdrawn, Yu Rongxiu breathed a sigh of relief.
Li Shu didn’t ask further, but secretly glanced at the man who was serving him food. The man stiffened and continued to serve him.
It seemed that Qi Mingxuan had done something to scare Yu Rongxiu. Li Shu casually withdrew his gaze, and finished the wine in his glass in one gulp.
He said casually, “Xiuyuan, Xiuyuan, it’s been so long, how come your tolerance for alcohol seems to have decreased instead of increased?”
“Alcohol doesn’t intoxicate people, they intoxicate themselves,” Yu Rongxiu retorted subconsciously. Feeling the penetrating gaze on him, he hurriedly chuckled and gave a serious answer, “Isn’t it because I’m happy today?”
“Think about it, how many people in this world can sit and drink together with…. Well, except for you, there’s probably only me. It’s a great honor. Come on, cheers.”
Li Shu raised his glass and clinked it with him.
Pretending to be preoccupied, Yu Rongxiu had a few more drinks and got drunk, leaving only two sober people at the table.
Li Shu didn’t get drunk because as long as he wanted, he wouldn’t get drunk. Qi Mingxuan’s alcohol tolerance wasn’t particularly good, but he remained sober because he hadn’t drunk much throughout, instead, he had been pouring wine and serving food for Li Shu the whole time, hardly paying attention to himself.
“Does Your Majesty wish to continue?” Li Shu leaned close to Qi Mingxuan’s ear and asked softly.
Qi Mingxuan’s body stiffened. Li Shu leaned over the table to get close, as if he was offering himself. When he spoke, he was very close to his ear, and his warm breath brushed against his face, carrying a faint aroma of wine because they had been drinking.
Qi Mingxuan felt like he was drunk, as if he was floating in the clouds. There was a vast expanse of sky under his feet and all around him, surrounded by the fragrance of wine. It was just as Yu Rongxiu said, “Alcohol doesn’t intoxicate people, they intoxicate themselves.”
“Your Majesty?” Why was he dazed? Could it be that Qi Mingxuan was already drunk? But his behavior wasn’t as obvious as Yu Rongxiu’s?
“No.” Perhaps afraid that his refusal would upset the young man, Qi Mingxuan explained cautiously, “Drinking too much is harmful to health. I’ve already had quite a lot today. If Zi Shu wants to drink, we can come again another time.”
“That’s fine.” Li Shu looked at the empty wine jars around, there were about ten of them. Yu Rongxiu probably emptied the store’s collection.
When they came out, it was already dark. Qi Mingxuan sent someone to escort Yu Rongxiu back, while Li Shu asked the shopkeeper for two jars of “Jun Gui” to take with him.
“Jun Gui” was the exclusive wine of this shop. Every time Yu Rongxiu invited Li Shu here, it was for this wine. After this farewell, it was uncertain when they would meet again. Bringing a few jars of wine could satisfy Yu Rongxiu’s craving on the way.
In the night breeze, the two of them didn’t go back immediately. Instead, they took advantage of the cover of the night and took a walk to relieve their hangover.
“Why did Your Majesty scare Xiuyuan just now? Judging from his appearance, he seemed quite terrified.”
Enjoying the rare moment of being alone together, the evening breeze blew gently, bringing a chill with it. Qi Mingxuan opened his mouth several times to say something, but when he looked at the young man’s jade-like profile, he lost his voice.
Suddenly hearing the young man’s question, Qi Mingxuan was momentarily bewildered, but quickly regained his composure.
“I…”
He didn’t know how to explain. He secretly revealed his thoughts about Li Shu and threatened Yu Rongxiu out of jealousy. He knew that Li Shu and Yu Rongxiu were just normal friends, but seeing their close relationship still made him feel sour.
Li Shu had never been so close to him. What qualities did this Yu Rongxiu have to be treated this way by Li Shu?
Sometimes, he even wanted to keep the young man confined to a place where only he could see him, with no one else around except himself. The young man would smile only at him, look only at him, with his gaze always fixed on him, not sparing anyone else a glance.
He knew that such thoughts were despicable, so he didn’t dare reveal them. He was afraid that if the young man knew, he would find him terrifying and would flee from him, never to return.
“Your Majesty did it on purpose, right? You intentionally let Xiuyuan know.” Li Shu continued in a calm tone, “It doesn’t matter if others find out. Xiuyuan is my friend. Even if he knows, he will keep this matter to himself. But have you considered what would happen if Teacher found out about this?”
He Yuan was different from others. Qi Mingxuan could ignore the opinions of the world, but he couldn’t ignore He Yuan’s. He owed his mentor a great deal, and besides, he was interested in his mentor’s newly found junior disciple.
If Li Shu didn’t have this identity, he could have been straightforward with his mentor and expressed his feelings openly. But now…
“I will tell Teacher. It was my own insistence. If Teacher blames anyone, it will only be me. Rest assured, I won’t let anyone trouble you.” Qi Mingxuan said solemnly.
If not for him, Li Shu would have been married and lived happily ever after. He knew how popular the young man was. The matchmakers were practically breaking down the door. Heaven knows how panicked he was when he heard the news.
Among the people seeking marriage were daughters of prestigious families. Raised in boudoirs, these ladies were delicate and lovely, with good looks, talents, and knowledge. They were many times better than a boring man like him.
In this relationship, Qi Mingxuan was never the dominant one. With just a glance from Li Shu, he would surrender willingly. As for how to tell his teacher, if it weren’t for the accidental meeting that day, he would have already told his teacher about his feelings for Li Shu.
But it had been delayed until now. He hadn’t found a suitable opportunity to broach the subject. The external obstacles had been mostly cleared away, and now the biggest problem was their identities.
Qi Mingxuan was already an emperor, but the harem was empty and he had no consorts. This was a huge opportunity. If their daughter entered the palace and was fortunate enough to be favored by the emperor first, and bore the first child, what a great honor it would be.
There were many courtiers who thought of this, so after the morning court session that day, someone spoke up first.
“Your Majesty, the harem is currently empty. It’s time to select a suitable woman to enter the palace.”
“Oh, really?” Qi Mingxuan smiled faintly. “Since you are still concerned about my private affairs, we might as well settle the matter of embezzlement and disaster relief funds.”
Yu Rongxiu was very efficient, and there had been reports on the handling of many disaster-stricken areas. He was ruthless. Anyone involved in embezzlement was sent to the capital for punishment. Qi Mingxuan hadn’t mentioned this matter in court for some time because he was waiting for a result and not because he wanted to let it go, as some ministers had thought.
The person felt cold sweat dripping down their back under Qi Mingxuan’s penetrating gaze. He regretted why he couldn’t control himself and became the scapegoat.
Unfortunately, regrets were useless. Those with small minds would only think that he had brought up something he shouldn’t have, causing the new emperor to bring up old matters. The current emperor’s methods were formidable; they dared not show any dissatisfaction towards the monarch and could only vent their grievances on themselves.
Sure enough, that afternoon, he received a letter from above, implying that he should resign on his own initiative.
When Qi Mingxuan said that he wanted to conduct a thorough investigation, he really meant a thorough investigation. Just like the Mu family incident from before, many people had a feeling of “as expected”.
As a descendant of the Mu family, if there were indeed irregularities in the Mu family case back then, it was within expectations for Qi Mingxuan to reinvestigate. However, this matter was different. It was just that this matter involved many people and had happened long ago. Overcoming such obstacles to overturn the case would not be easy.
Qi Mingxuan had been preparing for this case for more than ten years, and he would not give up because of these obstacles.
The plan was implemented in an orderly manner, and the buried truth had gradually emerged. However, what really revealed the truth was a letter.
After receiving a letter from Li Xinuo, Li Shu sat there in silence for a long time.
[Host?] 1314 couldn’t help but call out.
[I just didn’t expect her to make such a choice.] Li Shu folded the letter paper and placed it on the flickering flames, watching it burn away bit by bit.
[I also didn’t expect it, Host. Do you think the female protagonist is doing okay?] Did the Host go too far and stimulate the female protagonist too much?
[How is the progress of the mission now?] It had been a long time since 1314 mentioned anything about the mission.
[Host, you still remember we have a mission?] 1314 complained. It had watched the plot of this world collapse into chaos, even eight horses couldn’t pull it back together. Especially after its host began to have a tendency to fall in love with the male protagonist. It didn’t dare look at the progress of the mission anymore.
After accessing the mission panel, 1314 cautiously took a look and its eyes suddenly went wide.
!!!
It couldn’t believe its eyes; the progress of the plot had reached 85%, the male protagonist’s happiness value had risen to 72%, and the female protagonist’s was slightly lower, at 53%. Although it hadn’t reached the standard value, it had increased significantly from the initial value.
The reward bar in the upper right corner was flashing red. 1314 clicked on it. It saw a long row of mission rewards and counted the zeros behind the long string of points in disbelief.
[Host—Host—Host—] 1314’s excited body was even trembling, [Host! We’ve earned so many rewards!]
Unable to contain the excitement, 1314 told the host what it had seen, only to see that the host’s emotions didn’t fluctuate at all. It was shocked for a moment, then 1314 suddenly reacted, [Host, you already knew, didn’t you?]
If he hadn’t expected such a result, how could the host not have any mood swings at all?
[But there are many plot points we haven’t pursued yet?] 1314 was in disbelief. It clicked on the plot task, only to find that all the plot points had disappeared, leaving only a bare progress bar.
Has the format of the mission changed? But it hadn’t received any messages from the main system. Voicing its doubts, 1314 asked, [How are we supposed to complete our mission now?]
[Didn’t you say before that it’s fine as long as the happiness values of the male and female protagonists go up? Now Qi Mingxuan’s happiness value has reached the qualifying line. Let’s wait for the female protagonist’s happiness value to rise.]
It seemed reasonable, but thinking about the female protagonist’s recent experiences, 1314 was even more puzzled. Could the female protagonist’s happiness value really rise like this?
Li Shu immediately had someone invite Li Xinuo, and then entered the palace overnight without encountering any obstacles. He went straight to the imperial study.
The people in the palace were all good at observing words and expressions. They had seen Qi Mingxuan’s attitude towards Li Shu, so naturally, they didn’t dare to cause trouble.
“Zi Shu?” Hearing the footsteps, Qi Mingxuan looked up in surprise.
In the entire palace, the only one who could enter the imperial study without prior notice was Li Shu. Not only in the imperial study, but Qi Mingxuan had also specifically instructed that if the visitor was Li Shu, there was no need for prior notice; he could be let in directly.
Therefore, the visitor could only be Li Shu.
Qi Mingxuan got up and moved to the front. “Zi Shu came so late, is there something important?”
Li Shu had come in a hurry, and hadn’t changed into court attire. Instead, he was wearing a moon-white wide-sleeved robe that highlighted his figure. The waistband accentuated his slender waist, outlining a perfect silhouette that Qi Mingxuan could hardly take his eyes off of.
The young man in court attire with all his hair tied up and the young man in the wide-sleeved shirt with his hair half loose presented two completely different styles. Regardless of which one, Qi Mingxuan couldn’t take his eyes off him.
Although Zi Shu didn’t object to his feelings, he would never come to see him without proper reason. At most, he would silently express his dissatisfaction with his mixing of public and private matters. Coming to the palace at this time was obviously not for the reason he had in mind.
“I came here this time to ask Your Majesty to see someone.”
“Oh? Who is it?” Who could make Zi Shu run such an errand at night?
“I’ve brought the person in. Does Your Majesty want to see them?”
“Send them in.”
Soon, a person more petite than an ordinary man and dressed in attendant clothes was led in by the steward eunuch. They knelt respectfully, keeping their head down throughout and not making a sound.
“Who is this?” Qi Mingxuan looked at Li Shu with confusion.
“The commoner Li Xinuo pays respects to Your Majesty.” The person dressed in attendant clothes slowly lifted their head, took off their hat, and let their lush, black, and smooth hair cascade down, revealing the legitimate daughter of the Left Prime Minister, Li Xinuo.
Now Qi Mingxuan was even more puzzled. Why did Li Shu bring Li Xinuo into the palace late at night, and why did he dress her up like this? If it was to conceal her identity, then hiding it from who?
“Please rise. What brings you here?”
“I have something to give to Your Majesty.” Li Xinuo took out a tightly wrapped cloth bundle from her bosom, carefully unwrapped it, and took out a thin little booklet from inside. “This list should be of great use to Your Majesty.”
Qi Mingxuan originally didn’t think that what Li Xinuo was going to hand over was important. However, when he saw what was inside the cloth bundle, his pupils suddenly contracted. “This is…”
Li Xinuo confirmed his suspicions, “This is a list of every unjust act committed by the Left Prime Minister over the years.”
No wonder. No wonder Li Shu brought Li Xinuo here dressed like this. If the Left Prime Minister found out, even if Li Xinuo was his most beloved daughter, she wouldn’t be able to escape a tragic fate.
Qi Mingxuan stepped forward and personally took the booklet from Li Xinuo’s hands. Within this thin booklet lay the lives of countless people and the unspeakable crimes committed.
Five years ago, he accidentally learned that the Left Prime Minister had such a list in his hands. For five years, he had tried every means to find traces of this list but to no avail. Now, unexpectedly, it was delivered to him by the master’s children. Indeed, the ways of the world were unpredictable.
“I want to ask, why did you decide to give this list to me?”
This list could be said to be the Left Prime Minister’s death warrant. With this list, he could definitely follow the clues and expose all those involved in the past crimes, with the Left Prime Minister being the first target.
Unlike Li Shu, the Left Prime Minister’s mansion had never treated Li Xinuo badly. If Zi Shu had given him this booklet, Qi Mingxuan wouldn’t find it strange.
Li Xinuo pressed her lips together, and didn’t say anything. Perhaps she wanted to hand over this booklet because she didn’t want her elder brother to bear the heavy burden of sin like in his past life, ending up in ruin without ever being able to live for himself.
Li Shu: “Your Majesty, please find a place to shelter Xinuo.”
There was no telling when Li Cheng would receive the news. When that happened, Li Xinuo would be in danger. This was also the reason why he brought her to the imperial palace immediately after receiving the letter.
With Li Shu speaking up, Qi Mingxuan no longer dwelled on Li Xinuo’s matter. “In addition to Miss Li, Zi Shu, you should also be careful these days.” With the list missing, Li Cheng would definitely take action. Who knows what desperate actions he might take?
“I will be careful.”
Having secretly arranged for Li Xinuo’s protection, Li Shu refused Qi Mingxuan’s request for him to stay in the palace and returned home alone. Qi Mingxuan was worried, so he sent secret guards to protect him along the way.
~
“Is Your Majesty worried about something?” He Yuan collected the chess pieces and looked at the man standing by the window.
“I’m a little worried…” Although he had sent guards with him and Li Shu was capable of protecting himself, but Qi Mingxuan still couldn’t rest assured. His heart was racing, he always felt like something was about to happen.
“Your Majesty previously pushed back on the courtiers’ proposal to take a concubine. Is it because you are concerned about someone in particular?” He Yuan leisurely placed the chess pieces back where they belonged, asking in a casual tone.
“It’s true that nothing can escape the teacher’s eyes.” Qi Mingxuan turned around and sat down opposite He Yuan.
“Although I’m getting old, my eyes are still sharp. You grew up by my side since you were young, and I believe I know you quite well,” He Yuan calmly finished what he was doing, took a sip of the hot tea beside him, and casually uttered shocking words:
“Your Majesty, the person you mentioned before, is it Zi Shu?”
