Chapter 32

Ye Shu was so startled he nearly fell off the bed.

Fortunately, Imperial Physician Feng was close by and caught him in time.

Jin Wang strode over and took Ye Shu from the physician's hands. "Be careful — are you alright?"

"…Fine." Ye Shu, very much not fine, shrank slightly and gripped Jin Wang's robe. "Why has Your Majesty returned so early today?"

"Nothing urgent at court today, so We dismissed early." Jin Wang stroked Ye Shu's hair with idle ease and said: "You've been saying lately that you're bored staying in bed, so We thought to come back and keep you company."

…Only to hear this person at the door saying not to let him find out.

Having governed for many years, Jin Wang had a particular aversion to secrets that weren't meant for his ears — especially any that came from this person's mouth.

It would absolutely not be anything good.

With that thought, Jin Wang asked quietly: "What were you and the physician discussing just now?"

Ye Shu: "I…"

"We believe We just heard you telling the physician that We must not be told something?" Jin Wang narrowed his eyes slightly. His voice was composed and even gentle. "What secret have you and the physician got that you must hide from Us?"

Ye Shu didn't dare answer. Jin Wang turned to look at Imperial Physician Feng. "Perhaps the good physician would like to explain?"

Imperial Physician Feng glanced at Ye Shu in Jin Wang's arms, and likewise didn't dare open his mouth.

Jin Wang said calmly: "Do you know what crime it is to deceive the sovereign?"

Imperial Physician Feng dropped to his knees. "Your Majesty please calm yourself!"

"This was all my idea — don't take it out on him." Ye Shu grabbed Jin Wang's wrist.

Jin Wang had not spoken to him in this tone for quite some time. The fact that he was doing so now proved he was angry.

And genuinely so.

Jin Wang ignored him and continued pressing the physician. "Speak."

Imperial Physician Feng broke out in a cold sweat down his back, then glanced at the attendants standing nearby and said quietly: "Would Your Majesty be so good as to dismiss those present?"

"We would not." Jin Wang gave a cold laugh. "What is it that cannot be said in front of others?"

His tone brooked no argument. "Say it now."

"But this…" Imperial Physician Feng's expression was extremely hesitant.

Consort An was carrying someone else's child — how could such a thing be said in front of so many people?

If this came out, what would become of His Majesty's dignity?

Absolutely not. Not now.

The atmosphere in the hall grew heavy and stilted.

Imperial Physician Feng gave no answer for a long stretch. Jin Wang's patience ran out. He said flatly: "Take him out. Fifty strokes. He may speak after."

"Don't!" Ye Shu suddenly spoke up. "I was asking the physician to prepare medicine for me!"

Jin Wang looked down at him. "What medicine?"

Sensing the gaze falling on him, Ye Shu swallowed and said with great difficulty: "The medicine is… it's for Your Majesty to take."

Jin Wang: "?"

Imperial Physician Feng: "???"

Every pair of eyes in the room converged on Ye Shu at once. Ye Shu steeled himself and pressed on: "Your Majesty has not… touched this subject in a very long time. This subject has found it hard to bear, and had no choice but to resort to this…"

"…"

Jin Wang was speechless.

The attendants who had followed him in were equally stunned.

It was widely known that His Majesty summoned the senior consort to his bed every night and that Yangxin Hall rang with revelry. How was it possible he hadn't been touched? That medicine was needed to address it? Could it be that His Majesty actually had some kind of… hidden ailment in that regard?

Had the arrangement of the senior consort in Yangxin Hall been specifically to keep this from getting out?

Imperial Physician Feng's expression was equally blank.

This… this interpretation actually worked?

Truly worthy of Chancellor Ye.

In the silence, Jin Wang was the first to collect himself.

A pregnant kun-sovereign had heightened needs — yet he had not been truly intimate with this person in two months. This person had been enduring day after day, and had at last been unable to take it and had consulted the physician.

Imperial Physician Feng had Jin Wang's standing orders not to reveal the pregnancy, so he had been forced to play along and allow it to be framed this way.

One couldn't fault him for that.

Jin Wang looked down at Ye Shu.

The latter was gripping his robe with tentative hands, an expression of grievance in his eyes — the picture of someone who had just been frightened.

Under that gaze, Jin Wang's heart softened completely and the words tumbled out before he could stop them. "…I've wronged you."

Ye Shu: "…"

Imperial Physician Feng: "…"

The attendants: "?????"

Jin Wang, realizing a moment later that something about that had felt slightly off: "…"

Jin Wang pressed his fingers to his brow and said in a subdued voice: "You may all leave."

Everyone hurried out of Yangxin Hall. Imperial Physician Feng was the last to go, and he couldn't help but glance back at Ye Shu one final time.

His Majesty had sat down at the bedside and was gently drawing the person into his arms.

Truly worthy of Chancellor Ye.

Now there would be no problem hiding things discreetly until Consort An terminated the pregnancy.

Imperial Physician Feng had not yet come down from the shock of what had just transpired even after stepping outside. When someone nearby asked him a question, he didn't even hear it — he just nodded vaguely. Then, under the enigmatic looks of those around him, he turned and slowly walked away from Yangxin Hall.

The height of accomplished subtlety.

Inside the room, Jin Wang found a cushion and placed it at the small of Ye Shu's back, supporting him as he lay down.

Ye Shu pulled the blanket over himself and looked steadily at Jin Wang without saying a word. He had been resting in bed for the past few days and his complexion had improved considerably — his face was even a little rounder.

He looked quite sweet.

The two of them stared at each other in silence.

The atmosphere was faintly odd.

Jin Wang gave a small cough and touched his hair. "I've wronged you this past while."

"But there was a reason."

"It's not… it's not what you're thinking."

With the abortifacient tucked against his chest, Ye Shu maintained an air of quiet grievance. "Then what is it — has Your Majesty lost interest in this subject?"

Jin Wang immediately replied: "Of course not."

Ye Shu's fingers reached through the fabric and felt the shape of the vial.

I suggest you think carefully before you keep speaking.

Ye Shu thought this expressionlessly.

Jin Wang looked down at him and said with sincerity: "A Shu — what I feel for you has never been a passing impulse."

Ye Shu's eyes gave a faint stir.

"It is my fault for treating you the way I did before, and making you unable to trust me now." He stroked the hair at Ye Shu's temple, his voice a quiet sigh. "A Shu, whatever misunderstandings there may be between us — on this one matter, I have never deceived you."

Ye Shu turned his head away and asked quietly: "Then… are there other things you've been deceiving me about?"

Jin Wang looked at him steadily and, uncharacteristically, didn't conceal it. "Yes."

Ye Shu instinctively clutched the blanket tighter. He felt oddly tense. "What is it?"

Jin Wang fell quiet.

This time he was silent even longer than before. After a moment, Jin Wang said: "I can't say right now."

A flash of irritation rose in Ye Shu's chest. "Then when will you be willing to say it?"

Was he planning to keep deceiving him until the child was born?

"A Shu, I don't want to keep deceiving you. But now is truly not the time." Jin Wang said. "Tomorrow the Dayan envoy enters the capital. Whatever else — I'm asking you to give me a little more time."

Jin Wang had been considering whether to tell Ye Shu the truth for several days now, but had been unable to make up his mind and hadn't found the right moment. And now the envoy was arriving on top of everything else.

Foreign visitors at court meant the capital was in its most unsettled state. He couldn't afford for this person to cause any trouble right now.

Jin Wang closed his eyes briefly, then said quietly: "Give me a few more days. I promise I will tell you everything. When I do, you may deal with me however you choose — whatever decision you make, I will not oppose it."

He looked steadily into Ye Shu's eyes, his expression unusually earnest, the lines of his face made even more striking by the black and gold court robe.

Ye Shu found he no longer wanted to press him, and sighed in concession. "Fine. I'll give you seven days."

The little one had been in his belly this long already — seven more days wouldn't make a difference.

But if he still didn't come clean after seven days, be prepared to say goodbye to that little pup of yours.

Jin Wang nodded. "Seven days. It's a deal."

It was still some time before the midday meal. Ye Shu stretched lazily and was thinking about getting a bit more sleep, when he noticed Jin Wang was still sitting at the bedside watching him.

Ye Shu asked: "Are You not busy today, Your Majesty? Why aren't you attending to Your affairs — what are you looking at me for?"

Jin Wang gave a soft smile and pinched Ye Shu's cheek. "If We left now, what would you do?"

Ye Shu: "?"

Jin Wang pulled the blanket aside and leaned down, drawing him close, pressing his lips against Ye Shu's ear. "You've been confined to bed for the past few days and We haven't touched you at all. Have you been missing it a little?"

"…"

Ye Shu stiffened all over and pushed at him. "No— no I haven't…"

"Why be coy with Us at this point — if you didn't want it, why would you go to the physician?"

As Jin Wang spoke, his fingers traced slowly along the curve of Ye Shu's waist.

Ye Shu shuddered and his waist went immediately soft. He had been absurdly sensitive lately — the slightest touch from this person and he couldn't take it.

Ye Shu's resistance crumbled, and before long he had been half-willingly, half-reluctantly pressed down into the bed.

Jin Wang was about to undo his robe when his hand hit something hard.

His hand slipped into Ye Shu's collar and withdrew a jade vial. "What is this?"

Ye Shu, who had been thoroughly muddled, groggily opened his eyes — and was instantly startled fully awake. "!!!"

He lunged for the vial instinctively. Jin Wang deftly evaded, and Ye Shu could only grit his teeth and say: "It's… it's from the physician."

"From the physician?" Jin Wang nodded with a look of understanding. "So this is the medicine you wanted to give Us?"

Ye Shu: "…"

Jin Wang wasn't angry. If anything, he found Ye Shu rather endearing.

It had only been a few days since he'd touched him, and the man was already strung so tight he was planning to drug him.

This little fool.

Jin Wang tipped out the brown pellet and turned it between his fingers, tilting his head. "Want Us to take it?"

The implication was clear — if Ye Shu said yes, he would swallow it on the spot.

Ye Shu: "…"

Go ahead and eat it then. You'd be an Awang if you didn't.

Ye Shu looked at him expressionlessly. But Jin Wang simply turned the pellet in his fingers a moment longer, then dropped it back into the vial and tossed it off the bed.

"Little fool — We don't need this."

Jin Wang pressed him back down onto the bed, leaning close to his ear. "Whether We're capable or not — you know better than anyone, don't you?"

"If you really took the medicine, you'd be the one who couldn't take it."

…