While Xiao Shao was over here pondering how to complete his mission, over there, Qi Yan had only stayed outside the palace for a day when he suddenly had a nightmare.

Since taking up residence by Xiao Shao's side, he hadn't had a nightmare for a long time. However, this time it came fiercely. The palace walls in his dream were high, towering, and endless. He stood at the entrance of the prison, watching his teacher's corpse being carried out from within and carelessly thrown out of the palace gates. He furrowed his brows and subconsciously went to sniff the quilt. But this wasn't the Imperial Palace, and the quilt no longer carried Xiao Shao's scent.

As a result, the next day, Qi Yan looked listless. Even when his fellow successful candidates came to congratulate him, he couldn't muster much energy.

Qi Yan accepted the Zhuangyuan ranking like a wandering soul, not even asking a single question. Ji Xi, who ranked second on the same list, tilted his head to look at him with an inexplicable expression.

Ji Xi cupped his hands in greeting. "I have never heard of Brother Qi's name before, yet now you have topped the list. May I ask where Brother Qi is from?"

Qi Yan replied according to the identity Xiao Shao had prepared for him, "I am from Jingzhou."

Then he got up, mounted his horse, pinned a peony to his temple, and rode through the streets of the Capital City alongside the other scholars.

There were commoners offering congratulations everywhere. This time he was the first place, far more glorious and grand than his previous attempt. They passed by teahouses and taverns; upstairs were the singing stages where the wealthy playboys often frequented. Qi Yan subconsciously raised his eyes, searching for a certain person by the railing.

Of course, there was no one.

That noble young master waving a fan by the street had already become the emperor who ruled the world. Qi Yan withdrew his gaze, feeling inexplicably somewhat melancholy.

He wondered what Xiao Shao was doing right now.

—Xiao Shao was irritably reviewing memorials.

His best helper had left, and the workload had more than doubled. The memorials were also mixed with space-filling nonsense. Xiao Shao's heart flared with anger as he reviewed them. He suppressed his temper for a long while before picking up his brush to continue.

Fortunately, in the following days, Qi Yan entered the palace during his free time and took over the work in Xiao Shao's hands.

One day, Qi Yan was editing the memorials as usual when his calm expression suddenly paused, and the hand holding the brush exerted a bit more force.

Xiao Shao asked, "What's wrong?"

Qi Yan pursed his lips. He was originally going to press the memorial down to hide it, but at this moment, he stopped. After a moment of hesitation, he respectfully lowered his eyes and handed the memorial to Xiao Shao with both hands.

Xiao Shao: "?"

He flipped it open and took a look. Surprisingly, it was a memorial impeaching Qi Yan.

—The little Tanhua hadn't even entered the officialdom yet, but he had already been targeted by someone.

Xiao Shao let out a laugh. "Let me see what kind of monsters and demons we have... Ho, Ji Zhang, a disciple of the Ji Clan of Longxi, must be Ji Xi's clan brother, right? He says he searched all over Jingzhou and never heard of a person named Pingzhang. There's a problem with your identity."

Xiao Shao had gotten him forged documents, but it was impossible to collude with all the disciples of Longxi. If someone with intentions investigated carefully, they could indeed discover the flaws.

Xiao Shao found it amusing in his heart and said, "The identity I gave you, even if it's fake, is real. What are you afraid of... Hmm, there's actually more. This one says, illicitly using overstepping clothing?"

The Daqian Dynasty valued etiquette and laws, with numerous rules. A certain rank could only wear a certain type of clothing, which could not be overstepped. However, the two sets of Confucian scholar robes Qi Yan wore were made of tribute satin exclusively supplied to the royal family.

Xiao Shao thought to himself, 'I love letting you wear it; it looks good this way. What business is it of his?'

He continued reading.

"Hmm... suspecting you of colluding with foreign enemies, and privately taking royal tribute items..."

Xiao Shao thought to himself, 'This excuse came right on time.'

Wasn't this a great opportunity to complete the search mission?

Xiao Shao tossed the memorial back to him. "Why hide this kind of utter bullshit? Just write your remarks and send it back. I had someone make the documents, and I picked the style of the clothes. If he has any objections, let him bring it up with me in court."

He said this to give Qi Yan confidence. Otherwise, when he became a high-ranking official later, all sorts of impeachments would be handed over, wouldn't Xiao Shao's workload increase again?

But Qi Yan didn't seem to have any confidence. He stiffly pulled the memorial back and actually didn't dare to look at Xiao Shao.

Xiao Shao: "?"

He thought to himself, 'Strange, is there something in here making Qi Yan uneasy... could it be...'

Privately taking royal tribute items?

Xiao Shao asked curiously, "You eat and dress in the same place as me. What did you privately take?"

Qi Yan's body trembled, and his head lowered even further.

The little Tanhua couldn't lie; he was far from possessing the calm composure of the Lord from his past life who didn't show his emotions. The panic was written all over his face, and Xiao Shao knew it at a glance.

Xiao Shao was suspicious. "No way, did you really privately take something? What did you take?"

Whenever Xiao Shao asked a question, Qi Yan would generally answer. But this time he pursed his lips in silence. His knees went weak, and he actually knelt straight on the ground, hands overlapped in front of his brows, in a posture of begging for punishment.

Xiao Shao was startled, and two parts of curiosity rose within him. He pinched his chin and thought to himself, 'Isn't this a great opportunity to complete the search mission?'

Generally speaking, searching someone's residence should be ordered by the emperor and executed by the Eastern Depot or the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Once initiated, a dozen people would rush into the house, rummaging through chests and cupboards, digging three feet into the ground; even the ant nests in the yard could be overturned.

Of course, Xiao Shao couldn't possibly search Qi Yan's residence like that. Anyway, it was just going through the motions to score 50 points. He said leisurely, "Let's go. I'll go take a look at your place."

It had only been a few days since Qi Yan moved out of the palace. Xiao Shao had bought him a residence in the city, not far from the palace gates, making it convenient to summon him at any time.

Xiao Shao didn't want to attract attention, so he only used a simple sedan chair to leave the palace through a side door. He and Qi Yan rode together. During the trip, Qi Yan didn't say a word, just sitting quietly beside him. His fingers occasionally wrung the hem of his clothes, rolling the fabric until it was wrinkled, looking extremely uneasy.

Xiao Shao grew even more puzzled, wondering to himself, what did he steal? Did he take his Imperial Seal?

But honestly, even if Qi Yan actually told him he wanted to play with the Imperial Seal, Xiao Shao wouldn't get angry.

It was merely a dead object; using it to amuse a beauty and earn a smile was worth it.

The sedan chair swayed gently until it reached the entrance of the residence. Qi Yan had only been here for two days; the courtyard was completely empty with nothing in it, looking cold and shabby. Xiao Shao stepped over the threshold. The furnishings inside hadn't been set up either; there was only a simple desk and bed, completely visible at a glance.

From the moment he entered the room, Qi Yan lifted his robes and knelt in the corner, lowering his eyes, lost in unknown thoughts.

Xiao Shao turned his head. "Get up."

Qi Yan shook his head.

Xiao Shao: "You're really not getting up?"

Qi Yan still shook his head.

Xiao Shao: "...Lift your legs for a moment."

He stuffed the only floor mat in the room under Qi Yan's knees, then looked around, searching for "royal objects."

But he looked around and found the place entirely unremarkable. There wasn't even a decent decoration, let alone royal tribute items. Thus, he sat on the edge of the bed. "Little Tanhua, I pardon you of any crime. What did you hide?"

Qi Yan still didn't speak, but his breath caught when Xiao Shao sat on the bed, and he buried his head even lower.

Xiao Shao: "?"

As if realizing something, he reached out and lifted the quilt. Neatly folded inside was an article of clothing. Xiao Shao raised his hand, shook it open, and then raised an eyebrow.

The pattern and texture of this fabric was indeed tribute cloth from Jiangnan. The item wasn't considered rare, and Qi Yan himself had several outfits made of it. But the problem was, this article of clothing didn't belong to Qi Yan.

It belonged to Xiao Shao.

A cleanly washed inner robe, the fabric soft and spotless. Although it wasn't an undergarment worn directly against the skin, it was private enough.

Xiao Shao raised an eyebrow.

His little Tanhua had hidden an article of his clothing under his quilt?

Xiao Shao turned around, wanting to tease Qi Yan a bit, but saw that Qi Yan was kneeling even more rigidly. His neck was stiff and his head hung low, like some prisoner awaiting interrogation. Xiao Shao's gaze shifted downward and saw his fingers curled up unnaturally, practically kneading the corner of his robe to pieces. He didn't look like he was pretending; he was genuinely terrified.

So Xiao Shao swallowed back his teasing words and merely asked, "Why on earth would you take my clothes?"

Qi Yan: "...Your humble servant is guilty. Please punish me."

His voice sounded muffled and bitter, and listening closely, it was even trembling slightly.

Xiao Shao paused. "What crime have you committed?"

It was a casual question, but Qi Yan's fingers curled even tighter. "...Your servant lacked propriety... and..."

Xiao Shao: "And?"

Qi Yan paused. He closed his eyes, his eyelashes trembling rapidly, and completed the second half of the sentence: "And... coveted his emperor."

The trailing notes of his voice quivered, nearly scattering in the wind.

Xiao Shao: "...?"

He had maintained the etiquette between sovereign and subject, not overstepping the bounds by a single step, precisely because he feared Qi Yan would feel humiliated and offended. Yet now he was saying that he coveted his emperor?

—Didn't that mean he had endured for nothing?

Xiao Shao lowered his eyes. Qi Yan's face was ashen, completely devoid of life.

Now that things had come to this, hiding and keeping it a secret would be of no help.

Qi Yan couldn't gauge Xiao Shao's attitude. Xiao Shao liked to tease him, but it was merely teasing. Rather than saying he liked him, it was more like he was looking for amusement and joking around, finding it fun to tease him. Moreover, Xiao Shao was prone to being romantic and flirtatious; he cherished and loved beauties, especially unable to bear seeing them suffer. He was like this to everyone. Any pretty girl or handsome youth from the singing stages who came before him would be treated like this, with gentle words and soft-spoken coaxing.

Qi Yan asked himself if there was anything special about him. A eunuch wasn't even as precious as the vases in Xiao Shao's room. With such an identity, if Xiao Shao wanted him, he would have taken him long ago. But while the other party joked around, there hadn't been a single more intimate action. He stopped before crossing the line. Leaving it aside until now could only mean he had no interest.

At least, no interest in that aspect.

Xiao Shao was a wise ruler. His preferential treatment of Qi Yan was probably just because he valued his talent and learning.

Thinking of this, Qi Yan couldn't help but mock himself.

The emperor hadn't overstepped the boundaries by a single step, yet the minister was the first to harbor such thoughts, wanting to ask for more tender intimacy from his emperor.

That day when he saw Ji Xi, Qi Yan felt displeased.

Every generation brings forth new talent. Ji Xi, this year's Bangyan, possessed romantic literary talent and was born into an aristocratic family. He had enjoyed smooth sailing until now, having never suffered hardships or had his temperament ground down. Youthful, successful, and carrying himself with noble pride—he should be exactly the type Xiao Shao liked the most.

That day, when the attendants were sorting the clothes, Qi Yan drew one out as if possessed by ghosts and gods, and brought it back to his room. At night, he pressed his nose to the lapels. The nightmares didn't come to disturb him; instead, he had other dreams.

In his dream, Xiao Shao embraced him, their lips and tongues entangling, rubbing their temples together intimately. Those scalding hot fingers pulled open his clothes and trailed all the way down. When they reached down along his spine, his back and lower abdomen went completely rigid, stripping him of even the strength to spasm.

Only then did Qi Yan realize that even without his manhood, such desires could still arise.

For a fleeting moment, Qi Yan was even glad he no longer had that thing, so he wouldn't embarrass himself on the spot.

But as he hugged the clothing, he thought again—perhaps he didn't crave physical pleasure. He simply yearned for the warmth of those fingertips, wanting to draw closer, and closer still, to press his flesh against it, to lay himself bare, and to use what little he had left to gain his emperor's prolonged gaze.

—He didn't want Xiao Shao looking at Ji Xi.

For a subject to harbor such thoughts about his emperor was simply treasonous and heretical, disregarding the laws of heaven and human ethics. All the teachings of the sages he had studied had gone to the dogs.

And to Xiao Shao, what would this kind of affection count as? Having his inner robe secretly taken and placed on a bed, being obscurely coveted by a subject... Putting himself in the other's shoes, if someone did this to him, he would probably feel uncomfortable and disgusted.

Then what was Xiao Shao thinking? Would he find it disgusting too?

The little Tanhua lowered his head in silence, as if he had fallen into deep self-loathing. Xiao Shao squatted down beside him, poked his shoulder, and curled his lips into a smile. With eyes full of amusement and a rather radiant expression, he softened his voice and coaxed, "Little Tanhua, say it again. I didn't hear clearly. What crime did you commit again?"

Qi Yan was already unable to discern the laughter in his tone. He only stiffened his body, like a prisoner waiting for the guillotine to fall, and repeated with an air of near surrender, "...I coveted my emperor."

Speaking up to here, it was as if all his strength had been drained, unable to even maintain his kneeling posture.

But it didn't matter if he couldn't kneel steadily.

Xiao Shao had already slipped his arm under his knees, scooped him up in one motion, took two quick steps, and tossed him onto the bed. Qi Yan's waist went soft as he sank into the quilt, and Xiao Shao had already pressed down over him.

Qi Yan suddenly widened his eyes, looking at Xiao Shao in bewilderment. His mind went completely blank, not knowing how to react. The next second, a kiss descended.

Dense, tender, and lingering kisses fell on his cheeks, his neck, and his earlobes.

The kisses were so hot and scalding that they gave Qi Yan goosebumps all over his body. When the kisses landed on his lower abdomen, he unnaturally arched his back, only to be pressed down by Xiao Shao to lay his body flat. Immediately after, the emperor's slightly smiling voice came through: "Little Tanhua, you were the one who provoked me first."

He pried apart Qi Yan's curled hands, pinned them together, and raised them over his head, locking them down tightly. Qi Yan's pupils contracted as he heard Xiao Shao say unhurriedly, "Hmm, coveting the emperor. Let me think... that's a great crime. It requires a heavy punishment."

"It's just that this punishment will hurt a little. Little Tanhua, you'll have to bear it."