Chapter 46

Zhou Ruhui silently bowed. Ji Su pinched the nape of Ji Weiqiu's neck and got an irritable, restless mumble in response. The fine, white skin faithfully showed the body's natural reaction, trembling slightly in his palm.

"Awake?" Ji Su asked softly. Ji Weiqiu's breathing was deep, steady, and natural; he was clearly dead drunk. Only then did Ji Su sit down beside him and say to Zhou Ruhui, "With such a low tolerance for alcohol, he still dared to bring Luyun Spring... Sit."

Only then did Zhou Ruhui sit down.

The Emperor had informed him he was coming, so he did not appear surprised.

Zhou Ruhui said, "Your Majesty, His Highness is drunk."

"Mm," Ji Su replied faintly. "I see that."

Zhou Ruhui fell silent. He had always been a man of few words, not skilled in speech, and Ji Su was quite used to it. "I came today to inform you of some matters."

As he spoke, Eunuch Qingxi handed over a letter. Zhou Ruhui only glanced at it, and the veins on the back of his hand bulged, almost crushing the thin paper. His voice was like ice, "...Thank you, Your Majesty!"

"No need," Ji Su said. "I will give you half a month to handle it properly."

Zhou Ruhui nodded. Ji Su watched him for a moment, then said, "You are probably in no mood to discuss matters right now. Go and attend to your business."

Zhou Ruhui rose, performed a deep kowtow, then turned and strode away.

He had originally thought Ah Lu had passed away because her health was poor to begin with, an illness too severe to recover from. Who would have thought there was such a secret... He would absolutely not let them off lightly!

The servants in the hall had all withdrawn, leaving only those by Ji Su's side. He lowered his gaze to Ji Weiqiu, who was sound asleep, sprawled on the table. He suddenly saw him grunt twice and move his neck; the position was clearly uncomfortable for him.

Ji Su's fingertips trembled slightly. He reached out and gathered Ji Weiqiu into his arms, letting him lean against him, not caring in the least that wine stains sullied his lapels.

Eunuch Qingxi was secretly amazed. His Little Highness had previously fought with the Emperor to such an extent that he had felt afraid just listening from outside the hall door. He had thought there would ultimately be a rift between the two brothers, but now seeing this... aigh, His Little Highness himself probably didn't know how important his position was in the Emperor's heart.

Eunuch Qingxi brought a cloak and draped it over Ji Weiqiu, sighing, "The Duke's wife is truly a pity... Who would have thought the Zhao family would have such audacity!"

Ji Su said calmly, "The human heart is difficult to fathom."

Zhou Ruhui's wife's surname was Zhao, and her given name was a single character, Lu. She was the second legitimate daughter of the former Minister of War, Zhao Qing. Due to a deficiency in the womb, she was doted on and raised with utmost care, endlessly adored by her parents. Five years ago, Zhao Qing passed away, and two years after that, his wife also followed him.

Her elder brother, Zhao Cunjian, and his wife, however, were worse than beasts. Seeing that their younger sister was frail and had been unable to bear children for many years, and because Zhao Cunjian's official career was currently not going smoothly, they feared that once Zhao Lu was gone and forgotten, they would lose the Duke of Ying as a powerful backer. Thus, they wanted to send their own daughter to the Duke's manor as a concubine to continue the family line. Zhao Lu refused multiple times, so Zhao Cunjian's wife bribed a servant to poison Zhao Lu, ultimately leading to an illness too severe to recover from, and she passed away.

Zhou Ruhui guarded the borders for the country, so Ji Su naturally looked after the Duke of Ying's Manor. However, despite all precautions, he had not anticipated that Zhao Lu's own maternal family would be so sinister.

Eunuch Qingxi said in a low voice, "Such dark schemes of the inner quarters are inherently difficult to guard against... Your Majesty, will you be staying at the Duke's manor tonight?"

Ji Su glanced at Ji Weiqiu and nodded. "Yes."

Eunuch Qingxi also looked at Ji Weiqiu. Seeing his face flushed red in his sleep, he thought, 'He's really not just a little drunk—The Emperor must have considered this when he decided to stay the night, right? Otherwise, it's such a short distance, he could have just returned to the palace.'

Eunuch Qingxi had already ordered people to make arrangements when he arrived, so now he just needed to lead Ji Su there. He said, "Your Majesty, this old servant will help His Highness..."

"No need." Ji Su supported Ji Weiqiu with a single hand. Ji Weiqiu had been sleeping soundly, but being suddenly and forcefully pulled up, he grunted uncomfortably twice, his limbs flailing, and his eyes half-opened. "Don't... don't move me... sleeping..."

Ji Su snapped, "Don't move."

Ji Weiqiu immediately settled down, leaning most of his weight against Ji Su. Ji Su's expression was normal as he led him outside. In his daze, Ji Weiqiu knew to follow along. The lodging place was not far from the flower hall. Ji Su brought him over, settled him on the bed, and only then allowed the servants to come forward and clean Ji Weiqiu up.

After all this commotion, Ji Weiqiu opened his eyes. He was very obedient, raising his hand when told and opening his mouth when asked. When he saw Eunuch Qingxi, he even beamed, "Eunuch!"

Seeing his childish demeanor, Eunuch Qingxi's heart softened. He requested instructions from Ji Su, "His Highness is drunk, and the smell is inevitably unpleasant. Why not send His Highness to a side room to rest?"

Even if Ji Weiqiu was drunk, there was no reason for Ji Su to be the one to move out for him.

Ji Su said, "No need."

Eunuch Qingxi sighed inwardly, then had no choice but to lead the servants out and stand guard at the door.

Once the servants surrounding Ji Weiqiu left, Ji Su's figure was revealed. Seeing Ji Weiqiu staring at him in a daze, Ji Su found it somewhat amusing. "What are you looking at me for?"

Ji Weiqiu slurred, "Looking at... Imperial Elder Brother... you're handsome!"

Ji Su paid it no mind. He had heard such words from Ji Weiqiu countless times over the past dozen years. It was only after Ji Weiqiu left the palace to establish his own manor that he had enjoyed two years of peace and quiet. He sat on the edge of the bed and saw Ji Weiqiu begin to giggle foolishly. He had intended to frown, but in the end, a sense of helplessness emerged. "What are you laughing about now?"

Ji Weiqiu hugged the quilt and sat cross-legged, resting his chin on it. He said, "Today... Imperial Elder Brother is so nice today... Eeh, it's been a long time since I dreamed of Imperial Elder Brother being this nice! He didn't scold me! And he didn't force me to read memorials!"

Ji Su was silent for a moment. "You are not permitted to not read them."

Ji Weiqiu's expression immediately fell, looking incredibly wronged. "...Oh."

The position of power that everyone under heaven sought but could not obtain, why did it seem like such a chore to Ji Weiqiu?

Perhaps he truly disliked it.

Ji Su's thoughts turned: 'But now, he is not allowed to dislike it.'

Ji Su's expression remained as usual. He asked, "You have a preference for men?"

"Mhm." Ji Weiqiu obediently nodded.

"Why didn't you say so before?"

Without thinking, Ji Weiqiu said, "If I told you, Imperial Elder Brother would scold me! He might even hit me!"

...The truth.

For a moment, Ji Su didn't know what to say. He asked patiently, "Is there someone you like? Who is it?"

When Ji Weiqiu was fourteen, the Empress Dowager had gifted him palace maids to teach him the ways of men and women, but Ji Weiqiu had them politely sent away, saying that His Highness had gotten a new toy and was engrossed in it, and no one was to disturb him. Later, the Empress Dowager repeatedly sent maids, but they were sent back every time. This frightened the Empress Dowager into thinking Ji Weiqiu had some illness. She even summoned an imperial physician who said nothing was wrong, and only then did she let the matter drop.

Ji Su had not paid it much mind. Everyone had their preferences. He himself was particular about cleanliness and did not like people getting close. Ji Weiqiu was young then, preoccupied with having fun and ignorant of love; he would naturally understand when he was older. Later, after Ji Weiqiu left the palace, Ji Su heard he was a frequent visitor to brothels, so he didn't worry about it.

Who would have thought this kid had a preference for men? Perhaps he had set his sights on someone long ago and was a devoted lover, hence all this nonsense about saving himself for love and practicing abstinence, not allowing anyone to get close.

Ji Weiqiu tilted his head, his eyes fixed on Ji Su, a hint of confusion surfacing. "There's no, no one I like!"

"Truly no one?" Ji Su asked again, softening his tone. "If you truly like him, I will order him to accompany you."

A marriage edict was impossible. He was an imperial prince, already in the Grand Secretariat. Even if he wasn't meant to be a model for the realm, he couldn't marry a mere man. If those above act, those below will follow suit; how could public morality be maintained?

"Really, no one!" Ji Weiqiu reached out and tightly gripped Ji Su's sleeve. "Imperial Elder Brother, don't just randomly bestow a marriage on me! It's absurd! I don't even like her!"

Ji Su's brow suddenly furrowed. "Let go!"

"I won't!" Ji Weiqiu still thought he was in a dream, so he said whatever came to mind—if this were really Ji Su, would he be speaking to him in such a good-tempered manner?! What was he thinking!

He stubbornly clutched his sleeve. "I just don't want it! Don't I know you! You say you're playing matchmaker for me, but in reality, you can't wait to throw the person far away! Then you'll give me two serving concubines, and then a whole Princess Consort to manage me! You won't care if I like her or not, you'll just have her live as a widow in my house! Suffer my bad temper! As long as she can manage my food and lodging! Then what do I need Xingbo for?"

"It's Xingbo?" Ji Su thought of Xingbo's graceful bearing and temperament, and it seemed plausible.

"What Xingbo?!" Ji Weiqiu made a sound of disgust and said in a low voice, "Bro, Imperial Elder Brother... it's not that I'm criticizing you, and I don't mean to look down on eunuchs, but bro, you like eunuchs?"

Ji Su's expression turned displeased. "...What nonsense are you spouting?"

Ji Weiqiu chuckled twice. "Brother, you don't have any imperial consorts right now. Do you also have a preference for men?"

Seeing Ji Su remain silent, he laughed again. "Let's not have the pot call the kettle black. I haven't even bothered you about why you won't take any consorts, and you have to continue the ancestral line! Our old mother is worried sick, but you just keep a cold face and say nothing. Why are you meddling in my affairs!"

Ji Weiqiu hugged the quilt, his eyes barely open, clearly exhausted. He mumbled as he lay down, "Leave me alone... I'm going to be put under house arrest later anyway. You're my brother, I accept that... just implicate fewer innocent people..."

Hearing this, Ji Su was suddenly startled. He looked at Ji Weiqiu again and saw that he had fallen into a deep sleep against the pillow, looking carefree. After a long while, Ji Su slowly let out a breath.

'Is that what he thinks?'

'What does 'going to be put under house arrest later anyway' mean?'

'What does 'You're my brother, I accept that' mean?'

'Has he always thought this way in his heart? Has he always thought of me this way? He thinks that sooner or later, I will put him under house arrest? So even if he likes someone, he's afraid of implicating them and doesn't dare to say it?'

Ji Su gazed at Ji Weiqiu and reached out to touch his face... 'How did he become so timid? Was he so scared by me that he turned out like this?'

'Or have I been pushing him too hard...?'

Ji Weiqiu's lapels were loose, revealing the lustrous color of jade within. Seeing that corner, Ji Su knew what it was. After Ji Weiqiu returned from Jiangnan, he had listened to him and replaced the Golden Command Token with one made of jade. Ji Weiqiu had even picked the jade himself. After it was made, it had been bestowed upon him again, so it would be convenient to carry.

He laughed in exasperation and flicked Ji Weiqiu on the forehead. Seeing him burrow into the quilt in pain, wrapping himself up like a silkworm cocoon, he finally stopped.

...What an ungrateful little beast.

'I've already given him the Golden Command Token, what more does he want?'

'If I were going to put him under house arrest sooner or later, why would I give it to him?'

Author's Note:

People like Ji Su actually have a very easy-to-understand trait: whoever he likes, he gives them power and money.