The Sickly Seedling Dresses Up As An Unfortunate And Muddled Monarch - Chapter 52

“Although you’re in a hurry, don’t be.”

 

“Drip—”

 

“Drip—”

 

“Drip—”

 

The water clock on the hidden table made soft, rhythmic sounds as the water rippled, and the surroundings quieted down. The sound of breathing was masked, along with everything happening at that moment.

 

Qiu Jinghe, in a daze, staggered out the door. As he stepped out, he almost tripped over the high threshold of the palace gate, not paying attention.

 

Fortunately, Laifu was quick to react and caught him, trying to help the nearly soulless Qiu Jinghe to his feet to avoid losing face. But at this moment, Qiu Jinghe seemed completely drained of energy. He sat heavily on the ground, his head drooping low as if all his spirit had left him, a stark contrast to the eagerness and joy he had when he first arrived.

 

Seeing Qiu Jinghe sitting there like a puppet with its strings cut, utterly dejected, and noticing that several palace servants passing by were starting to look their way, Laifu became extremely anxious, desperately trying to think of a way to help Qiu Jinghe regain his composure. As he racked his brain, a clear and gentle male voice suddenly reached his ears:

 

“Eunuch Laifu, what are you doing sitting there?”

 

Laifu turned towards the voice and saw that despite the drizzle, Chu Yu, the National Preceptor, stood in the rain dressed in red, holding a red umbrella. Rainwater dripped from the edge of the umbrella like broken pearls, resembling blood.

 

“Where is the Second Prince?”

 

Laifu silently stepped aside, revealing Qiu Jinghe, who was sitting dejectedly on the threshold of Qingjing Pavilion.

 

Chu Yu’s clothes were already wet from the rain, but he was still holding the umbrella, seemingly unaffected. Qiu Jinghe, however, was in a sorry state, his hair glistening with raindrops, with some water trickling down his face and clinging to his slender chin, reluctant to fall.

 

Chu Yu approached the despondent Qiu Jinghe, who was sitting on the threshold, oblivious to the world around him.

 

Seeing Chu Yu’s arrival, Laifu understood immediately and signaled the surrounding maids and eunuchs to withdraw. They all quickly left, leaving only Chu Yu and Qiu Jinghe alone.

 

“What’s wrong?” Chu Yu knelt down, took out a handkerchief, and began to wipe the raindrops from Qiu Jinghe’s hair, trying to see his face clearly.

 

“Did you get wronged by your mother consort?”

 

Qiu Jinghe hugged his knees, burying his face in his arms, saying nothing.

 

Since he didn’t speak, Chu Yu didn’t press him.

 

He simply leaned in closer, half-kneeling on the ground to embrace Qiu Jinghe, using his body and umbrella to quietly shield him from the rain.

 

Chu Yu was only a few years older than Qiu Jinghe, barely of age, his figure slender and graceful rather than tall and sturdy. His waist was even thinner than Qiu Jinghe’s, the belt accentuating a beautiful, supple curve.

 

Qiu Jinghe’s face pressed against Chu Yu’s chest, which was not broad, even somewhat soft. The scent lingering at his nose made Qiu Jinghe’s breathing gradually heavier.

 

After a moment, for reasons unknown, Qiu Jinghe slowly extended his arms, tightly hugging the man in front of him, and then pulled Chu Yu into his embrace.

 

The momentum caused both of them to fall against the wall, with Chu Yu barely managing to keep hold of the umbrella, firmly shielding Qiu Jinghe from the wind and rain above.

 

Once they regained their balance, Chu Yu didn’t even bother to check himself; he first looked down to see if Qiu Jinghe was injured. Seeing that he was fine, Chu Yu finally let out a long breath.

 

But his relief was premature, for a few seconds later, Chu Yu heard the sound of someone crying.

 

At first, the sound was so faint that Chu Yu wondered if it was just his mind playing tricks on him after spending so much time immersed in calculations. But it wasn’t until he felt warmth on his neck that Chu Yu slowly realized—

 

Qiu Jinghe was crying.

 

… Qiu Jinghe was actually crying.

 

The youth cried quietly, without loud sobs or wails, simply burying his face in Chu Yu’s embrace, like a wounded and wronged little beast, huddling in his arms, suppressing his sorrow and tears. From a distance, he looked no different from anyone else, but the trembling of his arms as they clung tightly to Chu Yu’s waist betrayed some unusual emotions.

 

“…….”

 

Chu Yu didn’t ask why he was crying. He didn’t question him at all. He just silently held Qiu Jinghe, occasionally stroking his head, as if trying to offer comfort through this gesture.

 

Qiu Jinghe cried silently for a long time, only slowly raising his head from Chu Yu’s embrace after realizing that Chu Yu wouldn’t ask what had happened at Consort Hui’s place that day. With red eyes, he asked:

 

“Aren’t you going to ask why I’m crying?”

 

“No.” Chu Yu answered quickly, “When you want to talk, you’ll talk. If you don’t want to, it won’t help if I ask.”

 

Qiu Jinghe sniffed, wanting to say something, but Chu Yu wiped the tears from his cheeks.

 

“Are you done crying?”

 

Struggling to hold the umbrella, Chu Yu’s figure wobbled slightly, “My legs are about to go numb.”

 

Qiu Jinghe: “……”

 

Suddenly feeling embarrassed, Qiu Jinghe wiped away his tears and pulled Chu Yu up from the ground.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

At that moment, he didn’t resemble the cunning and manipulative Second Prince who played political games in the capital, but rather, a lost child:

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

He said, “I didn’t mean to pull you down………”

 

“Alright, alright, no need to apologize. The dignified Second Prince apologizing to me? What is this?”

 

Chu Yu said, “Let’s head back to the National Preceptor’s Hall first.”

 

He reached out and gently touched Qiu Jinghe’s face:

 

“Whatever you have to say, we can talk about it there.”

 

.

 

Chu Yu originally just wanted to take Qiu Jinghe back to the National Preceptor’s Hall and find a chance to slowly help him untangle his worries. But unexpectedly, no matter how Chu Yu tried to probe, Qiu Jinghe remained as tight-lipped as he had been at the threshold of Qingjing Pavilion, not uttering a word about what had happened with Consort Hui that day.

 

He kept his mouth shut as always.

 

Chu Yu didn’t feel the need to dig for answers. The reason he sought out Qiu Jinghe that day was purely due to a sudden, inexplicable emotion that drove him to Qingjing Pavilion.

 

He had a vague premonition, and sure enough, when he arrived at Qingjing Pavilion, he found the Second Prince deeply troubled.

 

Although Qiu Jinghe kept his mouth shut and remained as unpredictable as ever, his behavior did become somewhat strange—

 

To be specific, after a few days of depression, he began to go from gloomy to clingy.

 

The two of them had neither the status nor the reality of being a couple, but they ate, lived, and slept together. Qiu Jinghe especially liked to cuddle with Chu Yu while sleeping, as if holding Chu Yu was the only way to regain the sense of security he lacked as a child.

 

At first, he would silently cry and grieve over that little-known conversation, but after realizing that Chu Yu wouldn’t think him childish or ridiculous for crying, he gradually let his guard down, and his actions grew more bold and unrestrained.

 

After all, he was already sixteen, and in the original story, the character Qiu Junyao had his first child at sixteen. Qiu Jinghe, a young man full of vigor with no chambermaids or concubines, could hardly resist his desires. As they slept, he would start kissing and touching Chu Yu, seemingly trying to reclaim the warmth and comfort he had lacked in his childhood. This left Chu Yu in a dilemma; he couldn’t push him away, but allowing it led to his eyes mysteriously turning black. Sometimes, after being tormented to the point of drowsiness, he could no longer clearly see the boundary between the realms of the living and the dead.

 

One day, just as Qiu Jinghe tried to cuddle with Chu Yu for another round of what Chu Yu had come to expect, Chu Yu pressed him down firmly, preventing him from moving:

 

“No.”

 

Chu Yu glared at him, “I’m not your chambermaid. If you want to do something, ask the Emperor to give you one. Always pulling me into this—aren’t you embarrassed?”

 

“What did I do?” Qiu Jinghe said, feeling wronged. “I haven’t really done anything with you……..”

 

“Hey!” Chu Yu was only a few years older than Qiu Jinghe, but his skin was much thinner. His face turned bright red as he crawled over to cover Qiu Jinghe’s mouth.

 

“Don’t say it!”

 

“Mmph!” Qiu Jinghe, his mouth covered, couldn’t say another word. He blinked, indicating that he would comply.

 

Only then did Chu Yu let go of him.

 

Having learned his lesson, Qiu Jinghe didn’t dare say anything else. Since he stayed silent, Chu Yu didn’t speak either. They stared at each other for a while until Chu Yu, unable to withstand Qiu Jinghe’s gaze any longer, lay down, pulled the blanket over himself, and grumbled:

 

“Sleep!”

 

“Okay.” Upon hearing this, Qiu Jinghe obediently lay down. After a moment, like a thief, he scooted over, wrapped his arms around Chu Yu’s waist, and pressed his lips to the back of Chu Yu’s neck, his breath sending a shiver down Chu Yu’s spine.

 

Unable to stand it, Chu Yu closed his eyes, trying to force himself to sleep. But Qiu Jinghe, ignoring Chu Yu’s wishes, started talking to himself.

 

“Chu Yu, thank you.”

 

Perhaps because they were back-to-back, Qiu Jinghe couldn’t see Chu Yu’s face, which made him more daring in the dark. He continued speaking freely:

 

“Besides you and Father, no one else has ever treated me so well.”

 

“……..”

 

At this, Chu Yu was now certain that Qiu Jinghe was severely lacking in love. He turned around, and by the light of the moon, looked at Qiu Jinghe’s face. After a moment, he said:

 

“There will be more people who treat you well.”

 

He extended his fingers, gently tracing the handsome contours of Qiu Jinghe’s face, murmuring, “Once you become emperor, there will be countless people trying to ingratiate themselves with you.”

 

“That’s different,” Qiu Jinghe said. “Providing help in times of need and offering congratulations after success are not the same.”

 

“And…” Qiu Jinghe hesitated for a while, then continued:

 

“Why are you so certain that I’ll become emperor?”

 

“Because I foresaw it.”

 

Chu Yu said, “In the future, you will definitely be the emperor.”

 

“What about Seventh Brother?” Qiu Jinghe asked curiously. “Didn’t you also foresee that he has the aura of an emperor?”

 

“Two tigers can’t share one mountain. How could a single dynasty have two emperors?”

 

“This……”

 

Qiu Jinghe’s question made Chu Yu pause for a moment, leaving him momentarily speechless.

 

But he didn’t doubt his prediction. After thinking it over, he stubbornly said:

 

“You will be.”

 

He added, “If I say you will be, then you will be.”

 

“Hah.” Qiu Jinghe chuckled. “Alright then.”

 

He said, “Since that’s the case, I’ll listen to you and fight for this seemingly unattainable throne.”

 

“What do you mean ‘listen to me’?” Chu Yu replied with displeasure. “You’re making it sound like you always do what I say.”

 

“If you marry me in the future, I’ll naturally do whatever you say.”

 

Qiu Jinghe closed his eyes, resting his chin on the top of Chu Yu’s head. “Father said, ‘If you have a virtuous wife, how could you ever let her down?'”

 

“……You, really! You don’t learn the good things from your father, but you’re all too quick to pick up on his less respectable talk.”

 

Chu Yu poked Qiu Jinghe’s head with his finger and said, “If you become emperor in the future, I fear you’ll be just like your father, a ruler blinded by beauty.”

 

“……” Qiu Jinghe smiled and said, “There’s nothing wrong with being like Father.”

 

“Having a beloved wife and children—isn’t that the kind of life every man dreams of?”

 

“……Jinghe,” Chu Yu said, looking at Qiu Jinghe’s sleepy face and listening to his nonsense. After a moment, he suddenly asked:

 

“Do you really want to marry me?”

 

He continued, “Do you love me?”

 

Upon hearing this, Qiu Jinghe tightened his hold on Chu Yu’s waist. He didn’t open his eyes but spoke vaguely:

 

“I don’t know what love is.”

 

He said honestly, “But if I marry you, I’ll definitely treat you well and never be unfaithful.”

 

He crossed his legs and made a pact with Chu Yu: “When you become my princess, I promise I won’t take any concubines. I’ll remember your birthday, and I’ll leave all my property for you to manage. The gold and jewels in the household will be locked in the storeroom, and when you marry in, I’ll give you the keys… Let me think, what else… Oh, right, and all the rewards and salaries I’ve received over the years—I gave most of it to my mother, but the rest is in the study cabinet. I’ll give it all to you…”

 

“Enough,” Chu Yu said with a laugh, “I don’t need your money.”

 

Amused but not wanting to let Qiu Jinghe have his way so easily, Chu Yu teased him on purpose:

 

“The emperor hasn’t even formally arranged our marriage yet, and you’re already thinking about all this.”

 

“Hah.” Qiu Jinghe pointed at him and laughed, “You’re not officially the Second Prince’s consort yet, but you’re already calling him ‘Father,’ and you say I’m the one thinking too far ahead.”

 

“……You!”

 

Seeing that Chu Yu was about to fly into a rage, Qiu Jinghe, knowing he was no match for him, quickly got up and pulled Chu Yu along, deliberately changing the subject:

 

“But you did remind me of something.”

 

He said, “Since Father hasn’t officially arranged our marriage yet, I can’t feel at ease… How about I go ask him tonight to set a date sooner?”

 

With that, he rushed outside, completely abandoning his usual calm demeanor, forcing Chu Yu to pull him back:

 

“It’s so late.”

 

He said, “Father and Mother have probably gone to bed by now. If you wake him up just to ask for the marriage, he might punish you with ten strikes of the board.”

 

“……” Qiu Jinghe paused, “You’re right, that does make sense.”

 

“It’s just that you’re foolish.” Chu Yu regretted his decision, feeling that he must have been out of his mind to choose such a silly man. He forced Qiu Jinghe back onto the bed and tucked him in:

 

“Alright, enough, go to sleep.”

 

Although Chu Yu managed to stop Qiu Jinghe from visiting the emperor that night, he couldn’t quell Qiu Jinghe’s desire to get married as soon as possible.

 

Early the next morning, before Chu Yu had even fully awakened, Qiu Jinghe had already roused him from sleep. Still groggy, Chu Yu washed up and followed Qiu Jinghe to the front of the Hall of Fragrant Scents.

 

When they left the house, it was still dark outside.

 

Since today was a rest day, Emperor Qiu Junyao would get up later than usual. By the time Qiu Jinghe arrived at the Hall of Fragrant Scents, the emperor was still not up.

 

Eunuch Laifu was also standing at the door, drowsily keeping watch. When he saw Qiu Jinghe arrive so early in high spirits, he found it odd:

 

“Your Highness.”

 

He forced himself to wake up and approached, “Why are you here so early?”

 

“I’m here to ask Father to arrange a marriage for me.” Qiu Jinghe knelt down and, seeing that Chu Yu was still sleepy, quickly pulled him to kneel as well, full of anticipation:

 

“When will Father wake up?”

 

“Your Highness, you came too early,” Eunuch Laifu replied with a bitter face.

 

“It’s barely dawn…”

 

He glanced at the still-dark sky and then lowered his head, saying:

 

“Normally, His Majesty and Her Majesty wouldn’t get up to wash until at least another hour has passed.”

 

“………”

 

Qiu Jinghe was stunned, as if struck by lightning, his whole body stiffening, his eyes wide open.

 

At that moment, Chu Yu, who was standing next to him, was still nodding off, clearly exhausted from being dragged out of bed so early.

 

The night was cold, and Qiu Jinghe had just recovered from an illness. After kneeling for less than half an hour, he began to shiver.

 

Just then, Chu Yu, now fully awake, shivered from the cold wind. He lifted his drooping eyelids and looked at Qiu Jinghe kneeling in front of him. For some reason, a strange feeling passed through his heart, as if something had suddenly scorched it, making his heart beat faster.

 

He took a few steps on his knees and hugged the slightly trembling Qiu Jinghe from behind, then softly said to Eunuch Laifu:

 

“Eunuch, could you please inform His Majesty?”

 

Chu Yu said, “His Highness has just recovered and can’t be exposed to the cold. The distance between the National Preceptor’s Hall and the Hall of Fragrant Scents is quite far, and if we return now, it would be another ordeal on the way. I beg you…”

 

“Ah, no need for that.” Eunuch Laifu hurriedly replied,

 

“You are the National Preceptor; there’s no need for someone like you to thank a lowly servant like me.”

 

After some consideration, he gritted his teeth, unable to bear seeing the couple shivering in the cold, and said, “I’ll give it a try,” before stooping through the door to inform Qiu Junyao.

 

Chu Yu held Qiu Jinghe’s shoulders, waiting quietly.

 

Fortunately, Qiu Junyao didn’t want to see his second son suffer, so after Laifu went in to report, the lights in the hall soon lit up.

 

Chu Yu squinted, then glanced at the distant sky, which was already nearing dawn.

 

The morning light gently fell on Qiu Jinghe’s profile, and unexpectedly, it highlighted a resemblance between him and Qiu Junyao.

 

A quarter of an hour later, Chu Yu and Qiu Jinghe were ushered inside by a beaming Laifu.

 

Qiu Jinghe’s legs were numb from kneeling, so when Chu Yu helped him up, Laifu also lent a hand, causing Chu Yu to give him another appreciative look.

 

The couple supported each other as they entered. At this moment, the sky was fully lit, and they saw Qiu Junyao and Ying Yuan already dressed and seated, looking at them.

 

Qiu Junyao’s hair was loosely draped and tied with a ribbon as he sat cross-legged, propping his chin with his palm and yawning; by contrast, Ying Yuan, seated beside him, was dressed much more formally. Still in women’s clothing, he wore a married woman’s hairstyle, with long tassels hanging down, and the luxurious, glowing jewels made his features even more delicate and radiant.

 

But Qiu Jinghe had no time to admire this.

 

He knelt down again, bowing his head respectfully, and said:

 

“Father.”

 

He got straight to the point: “Father, I want to ask for your blessing to marry.”

 

“Oh?” Qiu Junyao perked up, narrowing his eyes. “You’ve thought it through?”

 

“I’ve thought it through.” Qiu Jinghe said, “Chu Yu is wonderful… I really like him.”

 

“Really now?” Qiu Junyao, unaware of what had happened between them at the entrance of Qingjing Hall or how intimate they had been in private, marveled at how quickly love had come, like a whirlwind.

 

“When did your relationship get so close?”

 

He glanced at Qiu Jinghe, took a moment to grab the breakfast menu from Laifu, scribbled a few notes on it, and teased, “Even coming to greet me, you two need to hold hands? What are you, elementary school students?”

 

Chu Yu blushed upon hearing this, as if electrified, and quickly withdrew his hand.

 

“Father…” Qiu Jinghe didn’t care about that. Today, he was determined to get an answer from Qiu Junyao. He hastily crawled forward a few steps, saying, “Your son…”

 

“Alright, alright, I approve.” Qiu Junyao waved his hand. “I’ve supported this marriage from the start.”

 

“Jinghe, you are thoughtful and meticulous. The wife you marry cannot be an ordinary person, or else the two of you won’t have anything in common. If you marry someone unsuitable, it would be a misfortune, and if your household ends up in chaos, it would be my fault.”

 

Qiu Jinghe wasn’t sure if his father’s words were praise or criticism, so he bowed and said, “Father is right.”

 

“But… though you’re eager, don’t rush things just yet.”

 

Qiu Junyao watched as the servants methodically placed dish after dish on the breakfast table and motioned for Qiu Jinghe to stand up.

 

“Although I also want to see you settle down soon, your wedding must take place after your mother’s coronation ceremony.”

 

“Coronation ceremony?” Qiu Jinghe hadn’t even stood fully upright before freezing in confusion. “Isn’t Mother already the Empress?”

 

“…That ceremony doesn’t count,” Qiu Junyao thought to himself how he still hadn’t experienced a proper wedding night, and after traveling to this world, missing out on it would be too much of a regret.

 

“I want to hold another, more grand ceremony for your mother, and announce to the world that he will be my only male Empress for life. From now on, your mother will present himself as a man. He can wear men’s clothing or women’s clothing as he pleases, and no one is allowed to comment on it.”

 

Qiu Junyao thought for a moment, then added, “If the opportunity arises, I’ll place a chair the same size as mine beside the throne, and he can participate in governance as well.”

 

“Father…”

 

Qiu Jinghe was stunned into silence by Qiu Junyao’s words. For a while, he didn’t know what to say.

 

Allowing the Empress to participate in court matters so openly? His father’s favoritism toward his mother had truly reached the heavens.

 

But Qiu Junyao didn’t care what Qiu Jinghe thought. Maybe he had never considered anyone else’s opinion, doing everything according to his own desires.

 

“Hey, don’t just stand there in a daze.”

 

Qiu Junyao waved Qiu Jinghe over. “Come and eat with us.”

 

He said, “In a little while, Jingxiu will wake up. These rice cakes and Dragon Well tea snacks are his favorite. Save some for him. Jingming loves meat, and so does Jingyue, but one likes beef, the other likes chicken. Don’t fight with them over it, save some for them… Here, you eat this.”

 

Qiu Junyao placed what looked like a fried dough stick on Qiu Jinghe’s plate.

 

“Try this. I had the palace servants make it according to my recipe. See if you like it.”

 

“Yes…” Qiu Jinghe, feeling somewhat overwhelmed, quickly took a bite and, while eating, kept praising how good it was. Chu Yu, watching from the side, occasionally took out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth.

 

“Tsk, such a loving couple.”

 

Qiu Junyao’s inner soul, obsessed with shipping couples, started to burn brightly again.

 

He felt it was necessary to give his son some lessons on sexual education, so he leaned over to Qiu Jinghe and whispered, “When you shared a bed with the National Preceptor, nothing really happened?”

 

“Uh… this…”

 

Suddenly discussing such private matters caught Qiu Jinghe off guard, and he blushed, replying, “We just kissed a little…”

 

“You kissed!?” Qiu Junyao’s face lit up with a “I knew it” expression. “How did you kiss? Who kissed who?”

 

“Of course, he kissed me first.” Qiu Jinghe pointed at Chu Yu, ready to boast, but was dragged over by his ear by Chu Yu.

 

Chu Yu glared at him, “What nonsense are you spouting in front of Father?”

 

“Why are you pulling my ear…”

 

Qiu Jinghe felt wronged. “You were the one who started it.”

 

Then, he leaned in and, right in front of Qiu Junyao and Yin Yuan, kissed Chu Yu again. “Like this.”

 

After the kiss, Qiu Jinghe looked at the delighted Qiu Junyao and said, “Then, I saw a huge compass…”

 

“Bang!”

 

Before Qiu Jinghe could finish his sentence, there was a loud crash from outside the door, as if someone had bumped into it by accident, followed by a dull thud.

 

Qiu Junyao’s thoughts were interrupted. He looked up and saw, bathed in the morning light, an angry young figure holding his swollen head and shouting:

 

“What are you doing!”

 

Qiu Jingyue had caught his second brother kissing Chu Yu and immediately exploded, jumping up and down in anger, his voice loud enough to wake the dead.

 

“Second Brother, how… how could you kiss him!”

 

He raged, “You’re no longer my good second brother… You… you’re dirty!”

 

Qiu Jinghe: “…”

 

Chu Yu: “…”

 

Yin Yuan: “…”

 

Qiu Junyao: “…Pfft, hahaha…”