Chapter 18

The young man in his arms was ice cold, his lips frozen pale. Feeling the warmth of the embrace, he unconsciously curled his body and nuzzled into Jin Wang's chest.

Jin Wang's heart gave a quiet, pained tug.

He gently laid Ye Shu on the dragon bed, helped him out of his outer robe, and pulled the blanket up to wrap him tightly.

Once that was done, Jin Wang sat down at the bedside.

"…A self-inflicted injury to gain sympathy." Jin Wang kept his expression stony and took Ye Shu's hand, holding it in his palm. "You knew perfectly well that We couldn't bear it."

The young man on the bed had no way to respond. Ye Shu's brow was tightly furrowed, his pale face fragile and exposed.

To be honest, what Ye Shu had done today had not particularly surprised Jin Wang.

After calming down, he had actually found it to feel entirely right and proper.

This — this was what this person should be like.

In all the world, there was no one but him who would dare question him like that. And no one else who could read his thoughts with such unerring accuracy — who even knew precisely to what degree he needed to soften before Jin Wang's heart would relent.

For a sovereign, this was not actually a good thing.

After sending Ye Shu away, Jin Wang spent a full two hours thinking.

He didn't know how to deal with this person.

But no matter what course of action he considered, he couldn't bring himself to take it.

A month ago he couldn't — now even less so.

For the first time, Jin Wang felt something like regret.

He should have known better than to go soft at the start.

Ye Shu suddenly stirred gently.

Jin Wang thought he was waking up and instinctively loosened his grip. But Ye Shu didn't wake — his fingertips curled, and just barely hooked the edge of Jin Wang's sleeve. "Cold…"

Jin Wang glanced at the completely bloodless hands before him, and turned his head. "You're pulling this on Us again. This time We absolutely will not——"

"…Jin Wang." Ye Shu's voice was weak and hoarse, a soft murmur. "It's so cold…"

"…"

A moment later, Jin Wang removed his outer robe and lay down on the bed, pulling the shivering, trembling young man into his arms.

"We are only doing this so you don't freeze to death," Jin Wang said with a stony face. "Once We have decided how to punish you — you… Ye Qi'an, if you try putting your hands inside Our robe one more time——!"

Imperial Physician Feng was shortly escorted into Yangxin Hall by an attendant.

The young emperor propped against the dragon bed kept a blank expression as he pulled the young man's now-warmed hands out from inside his robe.

"…"

Imperial Physician Feng's teeth ached as he watched. He sat down and placed his fingers on Ye Shu's wrist to take his pulse.

The pulse came and went with smooth fluency, gliding under his fingertips like pearls rolling on a jade plate… hm???

Imperial Physician Feng's eyes flew open.

This pulse…

Without his warm source, Ye Shu began squirming restlessly in Jin Wang's arms. Jin Wang pressed him down and scolded: "Stay still and let the physician examine you. Move again and We will hit you."

"I don't want to be examined." Ye Shu didn't forget to talk back even in his sleep. "…Miserable bastard Jin Wang."

Imperial Physician Feng's legs nearly gave out beneath him.

Yet Jin Wang showed no sign of anger.

Imperial Physician Feng cautiously raised his eyes. His Majesty's expression was still grave, but his eyes had softened considerably compared to a moment before.

…Being insulted and actually enjoying it???

Jin Wang shot him a warning look and asked: "How does Young Master's pulse appear?"

"The pulse… the pulse…" Imperial Physician Feng came back to himself in a fluster. He pondered for a moment, then asked tentatively: "Would Your Majesty be willing to… dismiss those present?"

Jin Wang gave the order immediately. "Everyone out."

Once all the attendants had left the room, Jin Wang asked: "Is it related to his kun-sovereign constitution?"

"…It is." Imperial Physician Feng said. "May this servant ask — in recent days, has Young Master's… cough, has Young Master's pheromone scent occasionally slipped out of control?"

"There have been a few instances."

Imperial Physician Feng fell silent.

Jin Wang's brow furrowed slightly.

The loss of pheromone control — Jin Wang had originally assumed it was because Ye Shu spent so much time close to him, and that his qian-sovereign pheromone had been interfering with the effectiveness of the Breath-Suppressing Pills. But during this period, Ye Shu's abnormalities had been more than simply a matter of pheromone slippage.

He was frequently drowsy and tired, finicky about food, and had been intermittently nauseated…

Jin Wang instinctively pulled the person in his arms closer. A thought he had never considered before suddenly flashed through his mind.

A kun-sovereign… could carry children.

Jin Wang placed his hand over Ye Shu's abdomen. His heartbeat inexplicably quickened, and his voice dropped and went a little rough. "Could he be…"

"Young Master's pulse is a slippery pulse." Imperial Physician Feng bowed low before Jin Wang in a prostrate bow. "…Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

After seeing the physician out, Jin Wang dismissed everyone and returned alone to the inner chamber.

The young man on the bed was still sleeping, but without his warmth source, his sleep was restless.

The moment Jin Wang lay back down, the young man immediately latched on with both arms and legs, clinging to him thoroughly.

Only at moments like this did he show any dependence on Jin Wang.

Jin Wang held him close. His palm came to rest on that still-flat abdomen, and something in his eyes appeared that even he had never seen from himself before — a tenderness so deep and soft it seemed almost foreign.

In here… there was actually a child.

His and Ye Shu's child.

Jin Wang's fingertips trembled. The moment that thought took shape in his mind, it was a joy impossible to contain.

"Don't…" Ye Shu shifted uneasily. He buried his face in Jin Wang's chest, murmuring like someone talking in their sleep. "Don't hit me anymore."

Jin Wang's chest tightened. That surge of elation was scattered a little.

The young man didn't know what he was dreaming of, but he was terribly frightened, burrowing deeper and deeper into Jin Wang's arms. "Jin Wang, I won't insult you anymore — please don't hit me…"

"Don't be afraid… I won't hit you." Jin Wang stroked his back, his voice soft and soothing. "I will never hit you again."

"I don't believe you." Ye Shu wasn't buying it. He kept his eyes shut and said indignantly: "…Dog emperor."

Jin Wang: "…"

When Ye Shu next woke, it was full daylight.

He lay buried in the soft bedding and felt utterly exhausted throughout his whole body. Everything below his waist was numb and aching to the point of near-insensibility.

He hadn't expected the physical stamina of this body to be this poor. He had only stood outside for two hours — and it had been enough to completely exhaust him into unconsciousness.

…If he'd known, he would have given in sooner and saved himself some suffering.

Ye Shu rolled over and sat up, and was just about to get out of bed when a figure came striding in quickly from outside. "Don't move."

Jin Wang pressed Ye Shu back down on the bed and said: "The physician said you strained your muscles and bones from prolonged standing, and caught a chill. Do not get out of bed for the next few days."

Ye Shu looked at him with wariness.

This person was somehow… not quite the same as before?

Jin Wang noticed Ye Shu's expression and gave a low laugh. "Why are you looking at Us like that? Did you sleep yourself foolish?"

…The tone was a bit indulgent. What was going on.

Had this person been driven mad by what he had said yesterday?

Ye Shu cleared his throat and asked carefully: "Your Majesty… you're not going to punish me?"

Jin Wang arched a brow. "What — haven't been punished enough?"

"More than enough." Ye Shu shrank a little and said quietly: "Please don't punish me anymore — my legs ache terribly from all that standing."

Jin Wang's gaze dropped. His palm came to rest on Ye Shu's legs, pressing gently. "Here?"

Ye Shu's legs were both numb and sore. The touch made him hiss and pull a pained face. His eyes went red at the rims as he nodded.

Jin Wang sat on the edge of the bed and began pressing on his legs to ease them.

The sovereign of an entire nation had never waited upon someone like this before. His technique was clumsy, but he kept his touch very light — as though afraid of causing Ye Shu pain.

What had been confusion in Ye Shu's heart had now transformed into something closer to alarm.

This person's mind must have actually broken.

Ye Shu studied Jin Wang with suspicion. Jin Wang suddenly spoke. "What are you wildly thinking about again?"

Ye Shu hurriedly looked away.

Jin Wang lifted his chin. "We are asking you a question."

"Nothing." Ye Shu said quietly. "I only feel that Your Majesty has been exceptionally kind to this subject today, which has made me feel somewhat…"

Jin Wang: "Pleased?"

"Panicked." Ye Shu's eyes drooped. He made a woeful face. "You're not still planning to execute me, are you — like giving a condemned prisoner a last meal before sending them to the block."

"…" Jin Wang gritted his teeth. "You're comparing Our kindness to you to a last meal?"

Ye Shu said in a small voice: "Worse than a last meal at least — at least you can eat a last meal. Your technique is terrible and you're pressing so hard it hurts."

Jin Wang said flatly: "We can hear you."

Ye Shu promptly covered his mouth and stopped talking.

Jin Wang pressed his fingers to his brow and, drawing on nearly all his self-restraint, suppressed a certain impulse in his chest. He recited inwardly: "The physician said, a pregnant person must not be startled or frightened, and must not be casually struck or berated…"

Taking advantage of Jin Wang's momentary distraction, Ye Shu quickly pulled his legs out from under his hands.

He drew both arms around his knees, curling himself into a small ball on the dragon bed, watching Jin Wang with alert eyes.

Jin Wang drew a steady breath and said calmly: "While you were sleeping, We thought about many things."

"These past days, we have done nothing but test each other without respite, with no trust between us whatsoever." Jin Wang looked at Ye Shu, his tone dropping to something gentle. "Yesterday, you were right. We asked you to be honest, and yet We have never said a single true word to you."

"This is not how things should be between us. It is Our fault. We apologize to you."

Ye Shu: "…"

What tactic was this?

Ye Shu couldn't make heads or tails of Jin Wang's thinking and didn't dare respond.

Jin Wang asked: "You don't believe Us?"

Ye Shu of course didn't believe him — Jin Wang's credibility with him had long since dropped into negative figures.

Ye Shu didn't want to go around in circles with him any further and asked directly: "Your Majesty, just say what you have to say."

Jin Wang looked up at Ye Shu.

The young man had slept through the night and seemed much more alert, but his complexion was still poor, and he looked even thinner than before.

Jin Wang's gaze dropped, lingering for a moment on that abdomen, before quietly moving away again. "It seems you have truly ceased to trust me."

This was the first time Jin Wang had not used the royal "We" when speaking to him.

Jin Wang raised his hand, fingertips brushing across the side of Ye Shu's face, sweeping the loose strands of hair back behind his ear. Earnestly: "A Shu. I want to start over with you."

Ye Shu froze.

Jin Wang was exceptionally handsome. Those eyes were deep and beautiful, and when he focused them on someone like this, it was very easy to create the illusion of profound feeling.

Ye Shu looked into those eyes. Something faint and subtle stirred in his chest.

It was genuinely difficult to remain unmoved when looked at by eyes like that.

Jin Wang continued: "Whatever your reason for the treason — as long as you are willing to promise to stay by Our side from now on, and harbor no further desire to rebel, We will not pursue any of it."

"The entire Ye household is currently imprisoned in the Court of Judicial Review. The confiscated family assets have not yet been transferred to the imperial treasury. If you want them, We can return them."

Ye Shu's eyes shifted subtly, and he said nothing.

Jin Wang stood and walked to the writing table, took up paper and ink, and began writing quickly.

After a moment, he handed a completed letter to Ye Shu.

"Do you believe Us now?"

Ye Shu unfolded it. It was indeed an imperial decree ordering the release of the Ye household and the return of their property and estate.

Ye Shu asked: "Why is Your Majesty doing this?"

Jin Wang looked at him steadily, his expression even and composed. "As We said. We want to start over with you."

Ye Shu had no idea he was pregnant. Jin Wang had no intention of telling him just yet.

When he said he wanted to start over, it was not false.

Last night, once the initial shock and elation had passed, what rose in Jin Wang's heart was anxiety.

His relationship with Ye Shu was precarious. If he were to abruptly tell him of the child's existence now, it would not be a pleasant surprise — it would be a burden.

Ye Shu might even… refuse to keep the child.

Jin Wang absolutely could not allow that to happen.

Of course, Jin Wang could resort to his previous methods — use some means to coerce Ye Shu into staying in the palace to carry the pregnancy to term.

But he also understood the principle that too much force produces the opposite effect.

Push too hard, and it would backfire.

Better to soothe him first, win him over — and then, once he had come to accept things, gradually reveal the truth.

Besides… given this person's oblivious nature, he likely wouldn't notice anything unusual about his body for quite some time.

Ye Shu had no idea what Jin Wang was thinking. He held the decree, thoroughly speechless.

Start over — who on earth wants to start over with you, you tyrant?!

Ye Shu ranted inwardly, but didn't dare show it outwardly.

Jin Wang said: "We will now have someone postpone the date of the wedding, and also push back the ancestral rites ceremony a few days from now."

"Wait… the ancestral rites ceremony?" Ye Shu seized on the key point immediately.

Jin Wang nodded. "It is a custom in Changlu that before a royal wedding, the imperial family must go to the ancestral temple to make offerings — this is called the ancestral rites ceremony. But since we are starting over, We are in no rush to wed you."

"…We will wait until the day you willingly consent to marry."

Jin Wang's words were full of feeling, but Ye Shu hadn't taken in a single one.

His entire mind was occupied by the ancestral rites ceremony.

The imperial city's defenses were watertight — he couldn't escape from within. But the ancestral temple was different.

That might be his only chance to flee.

Ye Shu said urgently: "There's no need to postpone it — why postpone it?"

"A Shu?"

Ye Shu grabbed Jin Wang's hand and argued: "The whole world knows the sovereign of Changlu is marrying next month — if you delay it now, what does that look like? Besides, organizing a royal wedding takes enormous effort and resources — if you postpone it just like that, won't all the hard work that's already been done be wasted?"

"But…"

"No buts — listen to me." Ye Shu was decisive. "Starting over is fine, but the wedding doesn't need to be postponed."

This was one of the rare occasions he was this firm about something. Jin Wang looked at him in puzzlement.

After a moment, Jin Wang reached out and stroked Ye Shu's hair. "Alright."

"Whatever you say."