The Sickly Seedling Dresses Up As An Unfortunate And Muddled Monarch - Chapter 54

Qiu Junyao had considered that Qiu Jingyue might have an emotional response to Qiu Jinghe’s marriage, but he never expected Qiu Jingyue to react so strongly that he even got into a physical fight with Qiu Jinghe.

 

… But why?

 

There shouldn’t be any reason…

 

Even if Qiu Jingyue was dissatisfied with his sister-in-law, Chu Yu, that shouldn’t lead to this…

 

Qiu Junyao leaned back against the couch, closing his eyes and appearing quite exhausted, feeling somewhat lost and confused.

 

Ying Yuan had never seen Qiu Junyao like this before and looked quite worried.

 

After a while, he seemed to think of something and turned to call for Lai Fu:

 

“Lai Fu.”

 

The jewels and ornaments at his temples clinked together, producing a crisp sound, and his voice couldn’t hide its decisiveness:

 

“Go get the Fourth Prince.”

 

Upon hearing this, Lai Fu first glanced at Qiu Junyao, saw him frowning and silent, hesitated for a moment, then bent down and replied, “…Yes.”

 

With that, Lai Fu led a few eunuchs and palace maids out.

 

Qiu Jingming and Qiu Jingxiu exchanged puzzled glances at the scene, and after a moment, they were hurriedly shooed out of Pixiang Hall by Ying Yuan, who had finally reacted.

 

However, Qiu Jingming and Qiu Jingxiu were still young and at an age where they were curious about everything. So, Qiu Jingming thought for a moment and simply grabbed Qiu Jingxiu by the nape of his neck, carrying him up to the top of Pixiang Hall. Just as he was about to lift the glazed tiles of the roof to peek inside, he unexpectedly locked eyes with one of Qiu Junyao’s shadow guards who was on duty up there.

 

Qiu Jingming instantly felt embarrassed: “…”

 

Shadow Guard Eleven also had a look of hesitation on his face: “Your Highness, Seventh Highness, you…”

 

“Shh.”

 

At that moment, Qiu Jingxiu, squatting beside them, placed his fingertip against his lips and squinted with a smile, looking like a little fox trying to hide its bushy tail, unable to conceal his cunning:

 

“Don’t say anything.”

 

He said, “Father is angry right now; be careful not to be discovered.”

 

As soon as he finished speaking, Qiu Jingming and Shadow Guard Eleven, who had been chatting just moments ago, instantly fell silent. The three fluffy heads leaned together, their eyes fixed unwaveringly on the gap left by the lifted glazed tile:

 

“Father!”

 

At that moment, Qiu Jingyue, who had been “escorted” to Pixiang Hall, was still obstinate, kneeling on the ground but looking as if he weighed ten pounds with nine pounds of rebelliousness:

 

“Why!!!”

 

He yelled in impotent rage:

 

“Why grant marriage to Second Brother? That’s one thing… but it has to be that Chu Yu!”

 

“Your second brother is already sixteen. After his birthday this month, he’ll be seventeen. In a typical family, he would have already become a father.”

 

Qiu Junyao covered his forehead, annoyed by Qiu Jingyue’s loud voice. Still, he had to patiently explain,

 

“Moreover, in terms of looks and abilities, how can Chu Yu be unworthy? He excels in astrology, medicine, and calculations; what basis do you have to criticize him?”

 

“Um…”

 

Qiu Jingyue was momentarily silenced by Qiu Junyao’s blunt words, and after a long while, he finally said,

 

“But how long have they known each other?! Why is it so quick to become engaged?”

 

“It’s already been three months since the spring hunt in March… During that time when you were soaked in the rain with a fever, Chu Yu took care of your brother day and night. Is it really so surprising that your brother was moved and offered himself?”

 

“…”

 

Qiu Jingyue was no match for Qiu Junyao’s eloquence and found himself at a loss for words, his mind going blank.

 

After a while, his face turned blue from anger. He suddenly stood up, glaring fiercely at Qiu Junyao, and shouted,

 

“Anyway, I won’t allow Second Brother to get married!”

 

Without thinking, he blurted out:

 

“If Second Brother is getting married, I’ll cause a scene at his wedding and make him a laughingstock in the capital, ensuring he can never marry!”

 

“Preposterous!”

 

Qiu Junyao slammed the table, genuinely angry at this point:

 

“The marriage between Chu Yu and Jinghe is decreed by me. If you dare to disrupt the wedding, do you mean to express dissatisfaction with me?!”

 

“Father…”

 

Qiu Jingyue had never seen Qiu Junyao this furious. His lips trembled in fear, and he dropped to his knees with a thud, pressing his forehead against the ground, yet he couldn’t bring himself to say “I wouldn’t dare.”

 

Qiu Junyao felt his vision darken. He was so angry he could barely speak, and the hand he had slammed on the table was starting to ache, making it clear just how hard he had hit it.

 

Feeling a wave of weakness wash over him, he thought to himself how hard it had been to manage one, and now here was another.

 

Qiu Jinghe was easier to deal with; though he was gloomy, he was at least a normal person. This Qiu Jingyue, however, was a heavyweight. What he said was explosive:

 

“Father…”

 

“Stop talking.” Qiu Junyao turned his face away, waving his hand:

 

“You needn’t comment further on Jinghe’s marriage. If you truly dare to disrupt the wedding, I will definitely break your legs. Do you understand?!”

 

“…”

 

Qiu Jingyue slowly raised his head, staring blankly at Qiu Junyao’s angry face. For some reason, tears suddenly streamed down his cheeks:

 

“Why?!”

 

He rubbed his eyes vigorously, but the tears flowed like a dam breaking, pouring down uncontrollably and reddening the corners of his eyes:

 

“It was obviously me who came first…”

 

He cried out, “I’ve always grown up with Second Brother. When he was sick, it was me who took care of him. We promised to always be together, no matter what, and that nothing would separate us!”

 

“Father, why do you insist on trying to have Chu Yu take Second Brother away from me?!”

 

Qiu Jingyue suddenly raised his eyes, which now held a hint of fierceness, and the veins on the back of his hands stood out as he clenched his fists tightly, as if he were gathering strength:

 

“Why?!”

 

“…” Looking at Qiu Jingyue in such a fervent state, Qiu Junyao was almost speechless:

 

“You are brothers, not a couple. How can you always be together?”

 

He said, “One day, you will have your own goals. One day, you will each start your own families, becoming husbands and fathers. You might even end up far apart and never see each other again. How could it be like when you were young, always stuck together?”

 

Qiu Jingyue didn’t understand and didn’t want to understand: “Why can couples be together all the time, but brothers can’t?”

 

The more he thought about it, the more confused he became, convinced that Qiu Junyao wanted to ruin the deep bond between them. Enraged and in a fit of madness, he blurted out:

 

“If being a couple means you can always be together, then rather than letting Second Brother marry Chu Yu, why don’t I and Second Brother become…”

 

“Slap—”

 

A crisp slap echoed through the inner palace.

 

Before Qiu Jingyue even realized what had happened, he felt a sharp sting on his right cheek, instantly swelling with distinct red marks from five fingers. The pain left him stunned as he covered his face and looked incredulously at the person in front of him—

 

It was Ying Yuan.

 

It was Ying Yuan, who was usually gentle and graceful, speaking softly.

 

Qiu Jingyue knelt there in a daze, looking at Ying Yuan, completely unaware of what he had done wrong. He trembled as he spoke:

 

“…Mother?”

 

Why did you hit me?

 

Though he didn’t say the words out loud, Ying Yuan seemed to see through his thoughts, frowning as he said:

 

“Did I hit you? I still need to pick a day for that?”

 

Qiu Jingyue: “…”

 

He felt wronged, confused, and sad, mumbling, “Why is everyone so unkind to me…”

 

“Because you’re foolish.”

 

Ying Yuan, who usually took great care to choose his words, now ruthlessly scolded Qiu Jingyue:

 

“Because you speak without thinking.”

 

“The most important thing is… you’ve angered your father.”

 

Ying Yuan’s fingertips traced over Qiu Jingyue’s still-chubby cheek. Suddenly, he gripped his chin tightly until Qiu Jingyue had to tilt his head back to meet his gaze, which reflected both fear and hhs currently somewhat terrifying expression. His voice was slow but harsh:

 

“If you dare to contradict your father again, I will have Ningfan slap your mouth hard enough that you’ll never speak again.”

 

Qiu Jingyue was so frightened by Ying Yuan’s cold expression that he didn’t dare to move. His thighs were trembling slightly, while his back felt as stiff as an iron board, sweat pouring down in layers. His voice was barely above a whisper, seemingly squeezed from his throat:

 

“Mother…”

 

“Alright, Ah Yuan, come over here.”

 

After a long time, Qiu Junyao finally calmed down and slowly stood up, calling softly for Ying Yuan.

 

Upon hearing Qiu Junyao call him, Ying Yuan’s expression instantly softened. He turned and walked over to him:

 

“Coming, Your Majesty.”

 

Qiu Junyao draped his arm over Ying Yuan’s shoulder and walked slowly to Qiu Jingyue’s side. Looking at Qiu Jingyue’s still frightened face, he allowed Ying Yuan to soothe his chest for a moment before finally letting out a slow breath:

 

“Jingyue, I don’t care what feelings you have for your second brother… but you can only be brothers, nothing more.”

 

“Second Brother and I are naturally brothers, the best of the best!”

 

Qiu Jingyue eagerly agreed without hesitation: “So, I want to be with Second Brother all the time!”

 

“…” Qiu Junyao felt himself growing dizzy with anger and had to raise his voice, sternly saying: “Do you think about your second brother’s feelings when you want to be with him all the time?!”

 

He continued, “Jingyue, marriage is not a trivial matter. You can’t just be with someone because you want to.”

 

“Marriage must be based on mutual affection and commitment. It’s about going through storms and sharing glory together in the second half of your life.”

 

“If you want to be with your second brother all the time, you can be inseparable, but it absolutely cannot be marriage, do you understand?!”

 

“…” Qiu Jingyue didn’t understand: “What’s the difference between being married and being brothers?”

 

He genuinely didn’t get it: “As long as we can be together, what’s the difference?”

 

“Of course, there’s a difference.” Qiu Junyao shot him a glance: “Being married means you have a husband-and-wife relationship… Do you want to hug your second brother, kiss him, or even have his children?”

 

Qiu Jingyue was stunned at the mention of that image. He shivered, feeling somewhat nauseous, and shook his head vigorously like a rattle drum:

 

“I don’t want that.”

 

He said, “Being married is so complicated… then never mind.”

 

Qiu Jingyue lamented, “I just want to be with Second Brother all the time. I don’t want to see him getting close to others, but that doesn’t mean I want to do those things with him.”

 

“…” Hearing this, Qiu Junyao’s anger eased a bit, but he still replied curtly:

 

“Do whatever you want? Do you think the world revolves around you?”

 

He waved his hand: “Go back to your Lanzhu Hall and reflect on yourself for a month. You are not allowed to come out without my permission.”

 

Qiu Jingyue was stunned, then immediately panicked, standing up to grab Qiu Junyao’s robe: “Father, but…”

 

“But what?”

 

Qiu Junyao turned his back to him, no longer wanting to look at him:

 

“You don’t need to attend your second brother’s wedding. Reflect well and correct your thoughtless remarks.”

 

Before Qiu Jingyue could protest further, Qiu Junyao gestured for a few eunuchs to pull him away.

 

As they dragged him out, they struggled to hold him because Qiu Jingyue was too strong. Even ten meters outside the palace, they could still hear his angry protests:

 

“Let go of this prince—I can walk by myself!!!”

 

“Alas…”

 

Listening to Qiu Jingyue’s voice, Qiu Junyao felt a headache coming on.

 

Ying Yuan naturally knew how hard it was for him.

 

He climbed onto the bed, knelt in front of Qiu Junyao, and gently held him close to his chest, softly reaching out to pat his back as if comforting a child:

 

“Alright, Your Majesty, don’t be angry. Anger is harmful to your health.”

 

“Can I not be angry?”

 

Fortunately, with his beloved wife in his arms, Qiu Junyao’s chest, which had felt so heavy, finally relaxed a little. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the warmth of Ying Yuan:

 

“It’s just that this Jingyue… really doesn’t understand anything.”

 

He said, “He’s neither talented in literature nor in martial arts… he almost caused me a major incident… It’s a good thing he’s just a child at heart and doesn’t truly want to do anything with his brother. Otherwise, I would rather have him castrated!”

 

“What an ungrateful child, he truly makes me furious.”

 

“…”

 

Hearing Qiu Junyao’s complaints, Ying Yuan couldn’t help but laugh.

 

He hugged Qiu Junyao’s neck and thoughtfully adjusted his position so that he could lean against him more comfortably:

 

“Why is Your Majesty so sure that Jingyue doesn’t have those kinds of feelings for his brother?”

 

“Of course he doesn’t.” Qiu Junyao replied, “When someone truly likes another person, they hope for the other’s well-being. They cannot bear to see them hurt, and even if they stumble and fall, they will feel heartache.”

 

“Look at Jingyue; he only cares about his own happiness. When he’s upset, he even hits his brother. How does that look like love? It’s purely that he has grown up with Jinghe and cannot accept that Jinghe has someone closer to him, so his jealousy is acting up.”

 

“And… to be honest, even though these two brothers seem different in personality, they are actually quite similar.”

 

Qiu Junyao straightened up, holding Ying Yuan’s face and looking at his blank expression. Suddenly, he seemed to realize something:

 

“Actually, children who have grown up lacking love generally prefer older, gentler people.”

 

Ying Yuan didn’t yet grasp the implications of Qiu Junyao’s words and instinctively nodded in agreement: “Chu Yu is indeed older than Jinghe and more mature.”

 

He didn’t consider any other possibilities, so Qiu Junyao continued along that line:

 

“So, Jinghe and Chu Yu are clearly a match made in heaven. Tsk…”

 

Yet, the more he thought about it, the more wrong it felt, and the more anxious he became. Finally, he straightened up from the bed, slapped his thigh, and exclaimed:

 

“No way!”

 

“What’s wrong, Your Majesty? What can’t be done?” Ying Yuan was startled: “Did you think of something?”

 

Though Ying Yuan’s words were close to his ears, Qiu Junyao was still lost in his thoughts, muttering to himself:

 

“We can’t delay, we can’t delay…”

 

Ying Yuan didn’t understand: “What…?”

 

“The wedding, the wedding of Chu Yu and Jinghe.”

 

Qiu Junyao grasped Ying Yuan’s hand and turned to him, speaking firmly:

 

“Ah Yuan, the coronation ceremony must be moved up… Let’s have it this month. After the coronation ceremony, on the thirtieth of next month, we will have Jinghe and Chu Yu marry immediately.”

 

Qiu Junyao’s words came through gritted teeth:

 

“To prevent anything that shouldn’t happen, this wedding cannot be delayed for even a moment!”