Chapter 52

Jin Wang had mentioned before his wish to restore Ye Shu's identity — but Ye Shu hadn't expected this man to have already drafted the decree so quickly.

And moreover…

"Aren't you talking complete nonsense?"

Ye Shu pointed at the decree, somewhere between laughing and exasperation. "I faked the treason as a performance for you, to draw out the spies hidden in the capital? And the staged death was to lull the treasonous officials in court into letting their guard down, so we could capture them all at once?"

"How is that nonsense? That is precisely what happened." Jin Wang said. "After the assassination attempt at the hunting ground, every spy hiding in the capital was caught, and their intelligence network, built up over many years, was uprooted entirely. As for what happened recently — everyone in court witnessed with their own eyes how you rounded up all those treasonous officials in one sweep."

Ye Shu was stunned speechless by the man's ability to say something completely fabricated with absolute seriousness.

And wasn't the first explanation actually one he had made up himself offhandedly? This person had just taken it and run with it???

Ye Shu said: "But the original host's treason was a fact…"

"But that was not done by you." Jin Wang looked at him calmly.

After that day, Ye Shu had found a time to bring the little yellow dog back to Yangxin Hall and explained everything from beginning to end.

Upon learning the truth, Jin Wang had not been particularly shocked.

After all, this was a man who had accepted without difficulty the revelation that he was nothing more than a character in a book. His psychological resilience left Ye Shu in sincere admiration.

"A Shu — I've said it before. You don't need to bear responsibility for anything you didn't do. That would be unfair to you." Jin Wang said gently.

Something stirred in Ye Shu's chest. He looked away. "Do you think others will believe that explanation — isn't it a bit of a stretch…"

Jin Wang gave a quiet laugh. "Do you think everyone is like you — no sense of decorum in front of me? I am personally issuing this decree. Is anyone going to dare not believe it?"

Oh right — this man was the emperor.

No matter how outlandish something was, if His Majesty the sovereign said it, no one would dare question it.

Jin Wang picked up the imperial seal resting to the side and held it out to Ye Shu. "If you have no objections — apply it."

Ye Shu's expression paused slightly.

He didn't take it. Instead, he extended his hand and covered Jin Wang's hand with his own, interlacing their fingers, and pressed the seal down firmly at the foot of the decree.

Unlike Ye Shu, whose hands were habitually cold, Jin Wang's were warm — long-fingered, strong, with well-defined knuckles. At the touch of skin against skin, that warmth transformed into a scalding heat and traveled through to his palm.

Ye Shu had just thought to withdraw his hand when Jin Wang gripped it in return.

He stroked his fingertip across Ye Shu's hand and said: "I forgot to mention — the Right Chancellor is advanced in years and submitted his resignation before the year's end. I granted it."

This was as the novel described.

Changlu had both a Left and a Right Chancellor. The Left Chancellor was the sovereign's confidant; the Right Chancellor had served three dynasties. In the same year the Left Chancellor was condemned for treason, the Right Chancellor retired to his home village. Jin Wang had simply abolished the Chancellor position entirely after that, and never reinstated it.

But Jin Wang's meaning at this moment was obviously something quite different.

He'd been walked into a trap again.

Ye Shu said with a rueful smile: "Have a conscience, Your Majesty — that little pup isn't even born yet, and you're already this eager to put me to work?"

Jin Wang's expression was perfectly composed, his tone unhurried. "I shall naturally share the burdens of the Chancellor, so the Chancellor will not be overworked."

Ye Shu looked back. Their eyes met, and both of them laughed at the same time.

Jin Wang pressed a kiss to the corner of Ye Shu's mouth.

"Welcome back, my Chancellor."

The following day, His Majesty the sovereign issued a proclamation to the realm, clarifying that the royal consort's true identity was none other than Left Chancellor Ye Shu. The decree explained in detail that the Chancellor had faked his death purely as a performance, formally overturned the treason verdict, and in an extended passage extolled how the Chancellor had served Changlu with utter devotion and unwavering loyalty to His Majesty.

The decree was written in stirringly moving terms, and every popular rumor collapsed on its own.

As for why the Chancellor, after his staged death, had then disguised himself as the royal consort — the decree said nothing at all. The court officials each had their own theories.

The estrangement was false, the falling-out was false, the body double was false — but was the affection they had displayed in front of all the court officials also false?

No one was sure anymore.

The moment the decree was issued, the entire court divided into two factions.

One side held firmly that His Majesty and the Chancellor had merely been putting on a performance together all along. Speculating about romance between two men of such profound brotherhood and sacrifice was frankly an insult to their deep bond.

The other side believed that genuine feeling existed in this world, that even sovereign and minister could have a true bond, and that emotion between the two did not preclude their conspiring together.

The two factions argued without resolution. As for the staged-death incident itself — rather few people paid much attention to that.

Neither Ye Shu nor even Jin Wang had anticipated this outcome.

"They're all just too idle. They should be doing more work." Said the newly reinstated Chancellor.

After the decree was issued, Jin Wang had the Ye estate renovated from top to bottom. Half a month later, the renovations were complete and Jin Wang's wound had largely healed.

Jin Wang chose a day to personally escort Ye Shu back to the estate.

On the day the Chancellor returned, a procession of carriages bearing imperial gifts stretched in a long line down Chang'an Street, and common people lined both sides to welcome him home. The spectacle was even more magnificent than when the Ye estate had first been built.

"A waste of the people's money and resources." Ye Shu dropped the carriage curtain and shrank back with a disgruntled hunch of his shoulders.

Jin Wang had one hand on Ye Shu's shoulder. He gave a mild smile. "I already cut back more than half at your request. Still not satisfied?"

"…" Ye Shu: "Satisfied. Very satisfied."

Jin Wang laughed and kissed him.

When they arrived at the Chancellor's estate, not a single member of the original household staff was missing — every one of them was waiting inside.

Jin Wang had never actually treated them harshly. They had been held in custody for a few days at the start, then moved to a rural property outside the city under house arrest. But they had all believed Ye Shu to be dead for this time, and had been living in constant dread of being implicated. Seeing their master return in such glory, many of them wept openly. Some of the older and frailer ones even fainted on the spot.

Jin Wang had Gaojin read out the imperial edict. Ye Shu bowed and received it. The two of them performed a dignified display of sovereign and loyal minister for the assembled crowd. When they finally sent away the court officials who had come to see the spectacle and closed the estate gates, Ye Shu was no longer happy.

"Why are you still here?" Ye Shu walked into the main hall and glanced at the person beside him.

A maidservant was just about to bring tea for both of them. Hearing Ye Shu's tone, she nearly dropped to her knees in fright.

Jin Wang was entirely unbothered and sat himself down with Ye Shu at the head seat, pulling him close. "You truly won't come back with me tonight? This place is not as comfortable as the palace, and besides…"

He glanced at Ye Shu's abdomen.

It was still winter, and Ye Shu could still conceal the belly under outer clothing — but spring was not far off, and that belly would eventually be impossible to hide.

Jin Wang's inclination was naturally to announce his relationship with Ye Shu as soon as possible and formally welcome him into the palace.

But he also had reservations.

When he had believed Ye Shu guilty of treason, a series of actions had nearly dismantled the influence the original host had built up at court over the years. Restoring Chancellor Ye's former standing with a handful of imperial gifts would be far from sufficient.

He still needed time.

Announcing at a time like this that Ye Shu was carrying his child, and then bringing him into the palace as a consort, would undermine the entire point of restoring Ye Shu's official status.

He didn't want Ye Shu to become his subordinate.

As for Ye Shu himself — at first, he genuinely hadn't cared much about any of this.

He wasn't someone of this world. He had no drive for power or ambition, no grand aspirations — whether his name was cleared and his position restored had never been something he particularly cared about.

But he couldn't hold out against Jin Wang's persistent lobbying.

One moment Jin Wang thought Ye Shu should return to a normal life as a court official, so that things would be more convenient for him to act. The next moment he worried about Ye Shu's safety outside the palace and couldn't set his mind at ease.

After half a month of back and forth, Ye Shu finally ran out of patience and made the call himself.

— First, move back to the estate for a few days.

Jin Wang mulled it over. "Otherwise — what if I stayed the night here?"

"…"

The two looked at each other. Ye Shu's expression was completely blank.

"The Chancellor has only just been reinstated, and there are many matters to discuss with the Chancellor directly." Jin Wang put on an air of great righteousness. "The Chancellor must think of the greater good."

Ye Shu: "…"

Think of your bloody greater good.

And so that day, after His Majesty personally escorted the Chancellor back to his estate, the Chancellor not only hosted a dinner in honor of His Majesty the sovereign — the two of them also discussed affairs of state, conversing in earnest through the entire night.

By the next morning, the news had spread across the entire realm. People marveled and remarked on what a truly exemplary Chancellor Ye Shu was.

Over the following days, the Chancellor and His Majesty met with tremendous frequency. His Majesty came to the Ye estate almost every day, and the two of them talked the whole night through every single time. Eventually, even the servants of the estate began to grow quietly concerned.

Young Master and His Majesty discussing affairs of state every night like this — how long had it been since he'd had a proper rest? How was his body holding up at this rate?

Fortunately, as winter drew to its close, Jin Wang at last became genuinely occupied and no longer had time to go to the estate every day.

So he settled for summoning Ye Shu to the palace under the pretext of official business.

"I'm not going." Ye Shu glanced at Gaojin, who had arrived with the summons, his tone thoroughly indifferent. "Eunuch Gao may go back and inform His Majesty that this official is feeling unwell this evening and is not in a position to conduct business."

Gaojin looked troubled. "But this…"

Ye Shu said: "Relay the words exactly. If he decides to blame me for it, I'll answer for it."

Having sent Gaojin away, Ye Shu leaned back in his chair and kneaded his belly through his clothes. "Haven't you ever seen anyone as clingy as your father? Not going to see him today. Any objections?"

The little one stirred gently from within.

A mutual agreement was reached between the two of them.

Not that Ye Shu was looking for trouble without reason — it was that lately he had been feeling a bit… restless again.

Since the arousal cycle, Jin Wang hadn't touched him. On top of that, his belly had been growing, and Jin Wang, afraid of harming the baby, had grown sparing even with simple physical comfort.

Since arriving in this world, he had never gone this long without any intimacy.

During the day he could still manage — but the moment he got near that person…

It was all the fault of that scoundrel and his constant teasing.

The night grew deep. Ye Shu lay in bed, turning over and over, unable to sleep.

Having that person beside him was unbearable — but without that person there, it was a different kind of suffering entirely.

If there were truly such a thing as a bewitching creature who brought calamity upon nations, Jin Wang was certainly one of them.

Ye Shu fumed inwardly.

The outside of the room was completely quiet — until a faint sound came from beyond the window. Ye Shu, who hadn't been asleep at all, opened his eyes instantly.

He knew that sound far too well.

His Majesty the sovereign's skill at climbing walls and windows was growing more refined by the day.

Ye Shu closed his eyes again without a flicker and continued pretending to sleep.

In the darkness, he sensed someone approach slowly and lift the bed curtain.

But only that.

The person seemed to simply be standing at the head of the bed, looking at him quietly, without moving or making a sound.

…Had Jin Wang turned over a new leaf tonight?

The two of them held this invisible standoff for a moment. Ye Shu couldn't stand it and discreetly raised an eyelid — and made out the silhouette standing at the bedside.

It wasn't Jin Wang.

Ye Shu shot upright, about to call out — but a hand covered his mouth. "It's me."

The voice had a youthful quality to it, and it was somehow very familiar.

Ye Shu's eyes moved. The voice said again: "Xiao Huan."

It really was Xiao Huan.

Xiao Huan had clearly left the capital several days ago — how could he be here…

The moon was behind clouds. Ye Shu couldn't make out Xiao Huan's expression, only feel the deep cold radiating from him. It was hard to say how long he had been out in the cold — his body was frozen to the bone.

As though worried about transferring that cold to Ye Shu, Xiao Huan released his hand and stepped back half a pace.

"Sorry — I didn't mean to startle you. I just… I heard some things on the road and came back to confirm…"

The young man seemed a little at a loss. "You — you really are…"

"It's me." Ye Shu said. "I deceived you before. I'm sorry."

Xiao Huan went quiet.

"I knew it…" After a long moment, Xiao Huan said quietly. "I knew you couldn't have done something like that. Thank goodness, Elder Brother Ye Shu — thank goodness you're alright…"

Ye Shu asked: "You wanted to see me — why come climbing through windows in the middle of the night?"

"I…" Xiao Huan touched his nose. "I just arrived in the capital and didn't realize how late it already was. But I was too anxious — I couldn't wait until morning."

"…"

This child really was hopelessly earnest.

Ye Shu sighed. "Never mind — I'll have the servants arrange a room for you. Whatever you want to say, we can say it tomorrow."

He stood to walk toward the door, but was suddenly caught by the sleeve.

Ye Shu turned back — and at close distance, saw the pitiful expression in Xiao Huan's eyes.

"What now?" Ye Shu's heart softened. He asked patiently.

Xiao Huan said with great grievance: "You're a kun-sovereign…"

"…" Ye Shu said: "Yes."

Xiao Huan's expression grew even more aggrieved.

Ye Shu felt helpless. He said honestly: "Xiao Huan — even if I weren't a kun-sovereign, it wouldn't be possible between us."

"Is it because Elder Brother Ye Shu has someone he likes?"

Ye Shu: "Yes."

The young man's eyes reddened. "Is it Jin Wang?"

Ye Shu didn't answer.

The young kun-sovereign looked thoroughly miserable — it was genuinely hard not to feel for him.

Ye Shu reached out and gently ruffled the young man's head. "Xiao Huan — you're still very young, and you don't yet understand that admiration and love are two completely different things. When you understand the difference, you'll find the person you truly care for."

Xiao Huan suddenly embraced him. "But I just…"

His voice cut off abruptly.

A martial artist's senses were keenly attuned. He felt with unmistakable clarity — through the thin layer of clothing — a small, rounded shape.

This was…

Xiao Huan's expression went blank for an instant.

Outside the window, a sound came again.

Both of them instinctively turned to look.

A familiar figure was leaning against the windowsill, arms folded, expression hidden in the darkness and unreadable.

Ye Shu's heart lurched.