The Sickly Seedling Dresses Up As An Unfortunate And Muddled Monarch - Chapter 47

When Qiu Jinghe asked this question, his expression was somewhat tense. Although his gaze remained fixed on Qiu Junyao’s face, the slight trembling of his eyelashes inadvertently revealed a hint of fear.

 

Qiu Junyao was very familiar with this expression—it was just like when he had finished an exam and wanted to check his answers but didn’t dare to.

 

“…….”

 

Seeing this look, Qiu Junyao pressed his lips together and didn’t speak immediately.

 

He didn’t want to disappoint Qiu Jinghe, but he also didn’t want to fill him with hope. After some thought, he only tightened the clasp on Jinghe’s cloak, then, acting as though he were deep and mysterious, patted Jinghe’s shoulder without saying a word, and left with the help of Laifu.

 

“…….”

 

Watching Qiu Junyao’s departing figure, Qiu Jingyue hesitantly sidled up to Qiu Jinghe’s side, shoulder to shoulder, with a hint of caution and doubt in his voice:

 

“Second Brother.”

 

He asked, “What does Father mean by this…?”

 

Feeling the residual warmth from the cloak, Qiu Jinghe slowly lowered his head and glanced at the shoulder Qiu Junyao had patted, remaining silent.

 

He didn’t answer Qiu Jingyue’s question. Perhaps he was as confused as Jingyue, or maybe he had gained a new understanding. Slowly, he stepped away from the cliff, leaving Qiu Jingyue standing there alone, scratching his head in confusion, completely unable to grasp the meaning behind the silent exchange between Qiu Junyao and Qiu Jinghe.

 

Since the spring hunt had ended and the “old case of the true and false Empress” was still unresolved, Qiu Junyao decided to return to the palace with his ministers to deal with the old case.

 

Qiu Jingxiu had recovered from the fever caused by the fright and was being cared for by Qiu Jingming. An hour before the group set off, he excitedly ran up to Qiu Junyao, holding a little rabbit, and called out in a soft, sweet voice:

 

“Father!” 

 

He raised the little rabbit high in front of Qiu Junyao, who was talking with Yin Yuan, his face full of innocent joy, his eyes curved like crescent moons as he smiled:

 

“Jingxiu wants to show you the little rabbit!”

 

He had recently lost his first front tooth, and there was a bit of a lisp when he spoke. When he smiled, the little new tooth peeked out adorably, making him look even more childlike.

 

“Father, the little rabbit!”

 

“I see, I see,” Qiu Junyao chuckled as he patted Jingxiu’s head and lifted him up, letting the boy rub his face against his own.

 

“Where did this little rabbit come from? It’s as cute as our Jingxiu!”

 

Jingxiu held the rabbit with one arm and kept playing with its ears, making them bounce up and down.

 

“Brother Jingming caught it for me! Jingxiu likes it!”

 

Hearing his name, Qiu Jingming blushed and scratched his head awkwardly, “I noticed Seventh Brother was sick, so I thought catching a rabbit would cheer him up and help him pass the time.”

 

“Mm!” As Qiu Junyao looked over at him, Qiu Jingxiu nodded vigorously, placing the thoroughly cleaned rabbit on his head. It looked like he had suddenly grown rabbit ears, and as he nodded, the ears swayed up and down with him.

 

“Father, Jingxiu likes the rabbit Brother gave him!”

 

Seeing Jingxiu’s flushed, excited little face, Qiu Junyao’s heart eased a little. He smiled and said:

 

“Did Jingxiu thank Brother?”

 

“I did, I did.” Jingxiu leaned close to Qiu Junyao, raising a hand to his father’s ear:

 

“I gave Brother the white jade necklace Father rewarded me with. I think Brother liked it a lot.”

 

“Oh?” Qiu Junyao pretended to be surprised, “Jingxiu was willing to part with it?”

 

“Father gave me so many,” Jingxiu said, “I have a lot, but Brother didn’t have any.”

 

“…….” Qiu Junyao raised his hand and pinched Jingxiu’s soft, smooth cheek, then handed the puzzled boy over to Yin Yuan, before motioning Qiu Jingming to walk with him to another spot.

 

“Jingming.”

 

He asked, “After the journey to Jiancang Mountain, did you have any thoughts or insights?”

 

Qiu Jingming paused, then awkwardly scratched his head:

 

“No.”

 

He said, “I was only focused on watching over Seventh Brother, so…”

 

Hearing this, Qiu Junyao chuckled, then pulled out a thick bundle of letters from his wide sleeve and handed them to Qiu Jingming.

 

“When you have time, take a look.”

 

After speaking, Qiu Junyao glanced back at Yin Yuan, who was standing in the distance holding Jingxiu, then turned and walked towards them, saying as he went:

 

“Jingxiu, come, let Father hold you.”

 

Jingxiu immediately laughed with delight, climbing down from Yin Yuan and running over to Qiu Junyao with quick steps, throwing himself into his arms, “Father, hug!”

 

Meanwhile, behind them, a puzzled Qiu Jingming opened the bundle of letters.

 

Inside was a thick stack of papers. Qiu Jingming unfolded one and silently read it, only to be shocked to discover that the paper was filled with his own strategies for governing the country, which he had once written for Qiu Junyao.

 

Beside the strategies, the entire page was covered with red-inked annotations, written in elegant small script. It was easy to see that it was Qiu Junyao’s handwriting.

 

“…….”

 

Qiu Jingming didn’t know why, but suddenly his eyes felt hot, and it took all his effort to hold back his tears, unable to speak for a long time.

 

It was only when the guards called for him loudly that Qiu Jingming finally turned his back to them, quickly wiped away his tears, and smiled as he climbed into the carriage for the journey back to the palace.

 

Qiu Jingxiu was afraid of carriages, so even though the journey from Jiancang Mountain to the palace was only two or three days, his face remained pale the entire way. Fortunately, the rabbit that Qiu Jingming caught kept him entertained and distracted, otherwise, he would have been miserable.

 

In contrast, Yin Yuan’s expression throughout the journey was not one of eagerness to return. Instead, he seemed restless, often lost in thought, and even when Qiu Junyao called him, he often seemed distracted.

 

On the second night of the return journey, Yin Yuan and Qiu Junyao rested at a post station. As Yin Yuan helped Qiu Junyao change clothes, Qiu Junyao, while lowering his head, asked:

 

“Tomorrow we’ll be back in the capital. You must be exhausted, right?”

 

“……..” Yin Yuan didn’t respond. He absentmindedly hung Qiu Junyao’s robe on the clothes rack and only realized after a moment that Qiu Junyao had spoken to him.

 

“What did Your Majesty just say?”

 

Qiu Junyao: “……”

 

He wasn’t pleased with Yin Yuan’s absent-mindedness and, grabbing Yin Yuan’s hand, pulled him close, lightly pinching his face.

 

“What are you thinking about so deeply?”

 

Yin Yuan furrowed his brows and was about to deny it, but after a moment, he looked up at Qiu Junyao again. Then, without knowing why, he reached out and wrapped his arms around Qiu Junyao’s waist, burying his face in Qiu Junyao’s chest and whispered:

 

“Your Majesty…”

 

“…What’s the matter?” Qiu Junyao held Yin Yuan’s shoulder with his right arm, gently patting him:

 

“Are you feeling uncomfortable because of the bumpy journey?”

 

“…No.” Yin Yuan closed his eyes, listening to Qiu Junyao’s steady heartbeat, trying to find some sense of security:

 

“I am just afraid that after returning to the capital, I will be separated from Your Majesty.”

 

Qiu Junyao moved his palm to Yin Yuan’s bare, vulnerable nape and gently squeezed:

 

“Didn’t I tell you not to worry about that?”

 

Unexpectedly, this simple statement from Qiu Junyao only made Yin Yuan more anxious. He urgently raised his head, looking at Qiu Junyao, allowing Qiu Junyao to clearly see his undecorated face:

 

“Although I look exactly like my sister, if I don’t wear makeup, at first glance, I look like a man. When we return to the capital, my true identity will surely be exposed!”

 

“…No, it won’t.” Qiu Junyao couldn’t understand why Yin Yuan was so tense, and even chuckled: “I didn’t notice any difference.”

 

If he hadn’t read the original novel, he wouldn’t have known that Yin Yuan was actually a man.

 

“…” Yin Yuan couldn’t understand why Qiu Junyao was always so calm, even though he was worried sick:

 

“I’m not joking!”

 

“I know.” Qiu Junyao picked up the anxious Yin Yuan, who had been pacing around the room, and tossed him onto the bed. He then lay down as well, pulling the bed curtains down with a swift motion.

 

“Your Majesty, you—”

 

“Sleep.” Qiu Junyao turned over and pressed down on Yin Yuan, gently grasping his hair, and whispered:

 

“Nothing will happen to you, and no one can separate us. I promise.”

 

Yin Yuan stared into Qiu Junyao’s calm eyes for a moment, then suddenly lifted his head and kissed him.

 

The bed curtains fluttered a few times, a piece of clothing and a skirt were thrown out from the gap, and the intertwined shadows within the bed rolled over a few times before being covered by the lifted blanket.

 

After physically comforting Yin Yuan to sleep, Yin Yuan’s worried expression remained deeply imprinted in Qiu Junyao’s mind.

 

He naturally knew what Yin Yuan was worried about, but if he were to say he was entirely confident that he could convince the ministers to agree to make Yin Yuan his male consort, he couldn’t be a hundred percent certain.

 

Moreover, it wasn’t as if he could really take up a sword and cut down all those ministers who would rather die than accept it; those ministers had children and grandchildren, and if he truly killed them, it would be unjust.

 

Despite Yin Yuan’s feminine appearance, the fact that he was a man was indisputable and irrefutable. Even if Qiu Junyao tried to deny it, he couldn’t silence public opinion.

 

As long as the truth remained, people would repeatedly bring it up, and it would be impossible to cover it up.

 

Thinking of the bloodstains on the golden pillars of the Great Hall that had not yet dried, Qiu Junyao felt a bit helpless.

 

After court, having failed to argue with the ministers about propriety, Qiu Junyao buried himself in the imperial library, searching through the historical records of past dynasties, only to find that in the several hundred years of the Great Duan dynasty, there had indeed been no precedent for a male consort—

 

Not to mention a male consort, there wasn’t even any record of a male empress in the fictional stories; there were only a few famous male concubines, but in the end, due to a lack of heirs, their fates in old age were tragic—they were stripped of their titles and expelled from the palace, eventually dying violently.

 

And the reason for not establishing a male consort was nothing more than the belief that it violated the rites and disrupted the ethical norms.

 

Qiu Junyao could understand the mindset of this era, but he couldn’t agree with it.

 

To him, Yin Yuan was not only a rare confidant but also his beloved wife. If he had to abolish him and establish another, Qiu Junyao would rather not be emperor.

 

…However, if he truly abdicated, Yin Yuan would only blame himself, believing it was all his fault, which would ultimately create a rift between them.

 

“…….”

 

Thinking of this, the conflicted Qiu Junyao heavily closed the dusty book.

 

What could be done? In this era, what excuse could be used? Who could have more suitable authority than imperial power to make those ministers relent?

 

By this time, it was already dark. As Qiu Junyao pondered, he was helped down the quiet imperial library by Laifu.

 

Countless raindrops flowed down the eaves, connecting into strings of tiny water curtains, gathering into small bubbles on the ground and flowing away not far off, easily soaking the hem of Qiu Junyao’s robe.

 

“This rain is really heavy. Your Majesty, be careful not to get wet and catch a cold.” Laifu held onto Qiu Junyao while instructing the eunuch leading the way to be cautious with the glass lantern.

 

“Yes,” Qiu Junyao agreed: “This rain is indeed heavy, and it doesn’t seem like it will stop anytime soon. Tell everyone to be careful and not slip.”

 

“Understood.”

 

The group responded in unison, escorting Qiu Junyao toward the Pi Xiang Palace.

 

But as Qiu Junyao’s party passed by an oddly shaped palace, Qiu Junyao suddenly noticed that Qiu Jingyue, who had been confined to the mansion, was standing beside Qiu Jinghe. The two seemed to be discussing something with the national preceptor, Chu Yu.

 

The distance was too great for Qiu Junyao to hear what the three were talking about, but he could see that Chu Yu’s expression wasn’t good. It appeared that their discussion broke down in the end, as Chu Yu left in a huff, slamming the doors of the national preceptor’s hall shut.

 

The rain poured down Qiu Jinghe’s face, and Qiu Jingyue seemed to be persuading him to return. However, after walking a few steps, Qiu Jinghe stopped.

 

Then, Qiu Jinghe turned back towards the national preceptor’s hall, took a few steps forward, lifted his robe, and knelt in the heavy rain.

 

He ignored Qiu Jingyue, who was anxiously talking beside him, and continued to kneel in the rain. In the end, Qiu Jingyue had no choice but to reluctantly kneel beside Qiu Jinghe.

 

The rain intensified, and just the impact on the face carried a bone-chilling cold.

 

Qiu Jinghe, having been poisoned by Qiu Jingyue, had not yet cleared the poison from his system, and now kneeling in the rain, his face turned pale, but his back remained straight.

 

Qiu Junyao couldn’t help but wrap his cloak tighter around himself as he watched Qiu Jinghe and Qiu Jingyue kneeling not far away, without saying a word.

 

Beside him, Laifu wanted to ask if Qiu Junyao should go over and take a look, but Qiu Junyao shook his head to stop him:

 

“Find two clever ones to stay here and watch. If the two princes make any moves, report to me.”

 

“Understood.”

 

After giving his instructions, Qiu Junyao took one last look at Qiu Jingyue and Qiu Jinghe, who were kneeling in the rain, and without saying a word, left with his attendants.

 

That night, as Yin Yuan served Qiu Junyao to bed, he noticed that Qiu Junyao wasn’t sleeping soundly. Qiu Junyao kept waking up and asking Laifu whether the rain had stopped, but each time, the answer was the same: it hadn’t.

 

“…”

 

After several times, Yin Yuan began to suspect something.

 

He sat up, looked at Qiu Junyao, who had been lying awake all night with his eyes open, and softly asked, “Your Majesty, is it the rain that’s keeping you awake?”

 

“…” Qiu Junyao shook his head, stroked Yin Yuan’s hair, then held him in his arms, gently caressing Yin Yuan’s smooth, delicate shoulders and back. He placed a kiss on Yin Yuan’s forehead and said, “I’m just worried about Jingyue and Jinghe.”

 

“What happened to them?” Yin Yuan rested his head on Qiu Junyao’s chest, their hair intertwining.

 

“Haven’t they been confined to their quarters for reflection these past few days?”

 

“…I just saw them at the national preceptor’s Hall.”

 

Qiu Junyao continued, “I suspect they were there for your sake.”

 

“For me?” Yin Yuan was puzzled. “But I haven’t asked anything of them.”

 

“Even though you haven’t asked, they can’t just stand by.”

 

Qiu Junyao said, “Forget it, let them kneel in the rain for a few more hours. It might clear their heads.”

 

After saying this, Qiu Junyao pulled up the covers, intending to tuck Yin Yuan in, but Yin Yuan, who was visibly tense, stopped him.

 

“You’re saying that Jingyue and Jinghe are kneeling in the rain?” Yin Yuan asked anxiously. “Jinghe hasn’t fully recovered… and Jingyue is only fourteen. Kneeling in the rain all night will ruin their health!”

 

Yin Yuan started to get up, intending to stop them, but Qiu Junyao held him back.

 

“Don’t go,” Qiu Junyao said. “If you go now, you’ll only be harming them.”

 

“…” Yin Yuan’s actions slowed as he turned to look at Qiu Junyao in confusion. “What do you mean, Your Majesty?”

 

“Isn’t it obvious? They are pleading with the National Teacher to acknowledge your position as Empress.”

 

Seeing that Yin Yuan was still confused, Qiu Junyao continued to explain patiently, “Throughout history, rulers have believed in the divine right of kings. The Imperial Seal even bears the inscription, ‘Mandated by Heaven, May it Endure and Prosper.’ The ‘Great Learning’ states, ‘Only the virtuous receive Heaven’s mandate,’ meaning that a ruler with good virtue will receive divine favour. So, although I am the emperor, at times, my words are not as powerful as those of the national preceptor, who is believed to communicate with the heavens and deliver divine commands.”

 

“I want to establish you as Empress. The ministers can accuse me of being unwise and protest vehemently, but if the national preceptor were to perform a ritual and declare a divine mandate, instructing me to make you Empress, what do you think those ministers, who hold tradition in such high regard, would say?”

 

Qiu Junyao smiled. “They wouldn’t dare defy the will of Heaven.”

 

Upon hearing this, Yin Yuan suddenly understood. “So that’s how it is!”

 

“However, making you Empress does the national preceptor no good and might even undermine his authority. After all, such an unprecedented decision might lead some ministers to doubt the national preceptor’s actions. They might not voice their concerns immediately, but later on, they could question whether thenational preceptor acted improperly. They would then seek to find someone to replace him. Although it is difficult to find someone who meets the qualifications of a national preceptor, it’s not impossible. If he were replaced, it would be entirely detrimental to him.”

 

Qiu Junyao snapped his fingers. “Though the national preceptor is a messenger of the gods, he lives among mortals and is subject to human desires. No one wants to lose their secure position. After all, stable jobs are hard to come by nowadays. So, the national preceptor is unlikely to agree, which is why I didn’t ask him.”

 

Yin Yuan asked, “If even you, Your Majesty, couldn’t persuade him, what makes you think Jingyue and Jinghe could?”

 

“That depends on how they plead and what they say.”

 

Qiu Junyao, unable to sleep, sat up, walked to the window, and looked at the ground, where the rain had created nearly a centimetre of standing water.

 

“Your Majesty, do you really not intend to help them?” Yin Yuan’s words were almost drowned out by the wind and rain, barely audible above the sound of the dripping water. “No matter their faults, they are still your sons.”

 

“…” Qiu Junyao stared at the increasing rain and the cold wind blowing into the pavilion, not directly responding to Yin Yuan’s question. Instead, he softly quoted:

 

“Only with sincerity can the mind be correct, only with a correct mind can the body be cultivated, only with a cultivated body can the family be in order, only with an ordered family can the state be governed, and only with a governed state can the world be at peace. From the emperor to the commoner, all should regard self-cultivation as the root. Thus, the nobleman first attends to virtue. With virtue comes people, with people comes land, with land comes wealth, and with wealth comes utility.”

 

“If one wants to be Crown Prince, but lacks virtue, the courage to bear responsibility, and the ability to correct mistakes, and instead only delights in temporary leniency without seeking self-reflection, how can they become Crown Prince?”

 

“…Father, Father.” As Qiu Junyao muttered to himself, Qiu Jingxiu, awakened by the rain, came out of the inner chamber, rubbing his eyes, and groped his way to Qiu Junyao’s side, looking up at him with a curious expression. “What is Father looking at? I want to see too.”

 

“Why is Jingxiu awake?” Qiu Junyao’s thoughts were interrupted, but he didn’t mind. He smiled and picked up Qiu Jingxiu, saying, “Did Father wake you?”

 

“No.” Qiu Jingxiu, drowsy, mumbled softly as he lay his head on Qiu Junyao’s shoulder, “The rain is so heavy, and the wind keeps rattling the windows. I’m too cold to sleep.”

 

“If Father stays with you, you’ll be able to sleep,” Qiu Junyao said as he placed Qiu Jingxiu back on the bed, watching with a smile as he wriggled under the covers, trying to catch his father’s scent. Suddenly, Qiu Junyao asked, “Jingxiu, do you want to be Crown Prince like your brothers?”

 

“…Crown Prince?” Qiu Jingxiu peeked out of the blankets with wide, round eyes, thinking for a moment. Then he asked, “If I become Crown Prince, can I always stay with Father?”

 

“…I’m afraid not,” Qiu Junyao replied.

 

“Then I don’t want to be Crown Prince,” Qiu Jingxiu eagerly raised his hand. “When I grow up, I want to be like Eunuch Laifu, someone who can be with Father every day…”

 

Qiu Junyao quickly covered Qiu Jingxiu’s mouth before he could finish the sentence. “…”

 

Those words are definitely not appropriate, my dear.

 

As the father and son were playing around, Eunuch Laifu, who had just been mentioned, entered the room. He stopped a few metres away and softly called out, “Your Majesty.”

 

After a brief pause, he continued in a low voice, “At the national preceptor’s Hall… something has happened to the Second and Fourth Princes.”

 

For a moment, the room fell silent. A few seconds later, the bed curtains were abruptly thrown back, revealing Qiu Junyao’s usually calm face, now tinged with a hint of tension. 

 

“What happened to them?”