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Jiang Xun: "..."

According to the script's requirements, he was an incompetent emperor who couldn't understand what Shen Que was saying at all. So Jiang Xun paused and didn't speak.

Seeing that although the emperor remained silent, he neither pushed him away nor interrupted him, Shen Que simply assumed his "sincerity" wasn't enough. Thus, gritting his teeth, he took hold of Jiang Xun's hand.

Jiang Xun: "?"

The incompetent emperor had a very good-looking pair of hands, with long, beautiful joints and a thin callus on the side of his middle finger. This was a trace left behind from Jiang Xun experiencing modern education and holding a pen to write exam papers. The thin callus was hard and rough, scratching against the palm with a slightly itchy sensation.

Shen Que held these hands and placed them on his thighs.

He bent his thighs to cater to the curve of Jiang Xun's palm, gesturing to him, "Your Majesty, if you like, you can... you can..."

You can touch.

Shen Que couldn't go on speaking.

His eyes completely closed. The water vapor in the bathroom condensed at the ends of his hair, leaving it wet and dripping.

As the Imperial Tutor, yet meeting honestly naked with the emperor in a bath, and even attempting to rub his legs against him to seduce him—with his upbringing, saying this much was already his limit.

Jiang Xun: "..."

Jiang Xun remembered the tactile sensation of these legs: warm, smooth, and soft. At that time, he must have liked these legs very much, but right now, his mind was preoccupied with the droughts and floods; he truly had no mood for romance.

But letting go would go against his character setting. Jiang Xun placed his palm on Shen Que's knee and touched it slightly.

He curled his fingertips, feeling the bone beneath the knee.

In the later stages of his previous life, Shen Que's knee bones had become deformed from prolonged kneeling. Now, although the skin was red and swollen, the bones were still perfectly fine.

Shen Que trembled. His thighs tensed for a moment before quickly relaxing again.

Jiang Xun: "It's swollen."

After kneeling for so many hours, of course it was swollen.

Shen Que was taken aback for a moment: "Yes."

He didn't understand the meaning behind the emperor's words, but just moved a little closer and admonished: "Your Majesty, regarding the matter of the Heir of Zhenbei, I implore Your Majesty to reconsider. The Heir has stayed in prison for so many days without clear reason; a decision should be made."

If it were his past life, Jiang Xun would have felt angry. Both were his disciples, yet Shen Que's thoughts were entirely on Xue Jin, going so far as to plead for him at the cost of himself. Meanwhile, Jiang Xun's head was busted open and still bleeding, but Shen Que took it lightly and didn't care.

Jiang Xun remembered that at that time he was indeed angry and aggrieved. In fact, he still felt an indescribable trace of sadness now, but this bit of sadness was mixed into his massive worries and anxieties about state affairs—it was tiny, slight, and not worth mentioning.

But it did exist.

Jiang Xun showed no expression at all, merely saying, "En."

Of course, he couldn't do anything to Xue Jin. Xue Jin was the Great Ancestor of Liang who founded the dynasty, as well as the most renowned military strategist of this era; the person destined to replace Jiang Xun and ascend the throne as emperor.

Jiang Xun would smoothly hand over the throne to him, but unlike his previous life, he wanted to block the Northern Di outside the Shanhai Pass, skipping over the fifty years of the Divine Land sinking and the common people suffering in chaos in between.

The emperor agreed so readily that Shen Que paused instead.

Jiang Xun didn't look at him, but turned around and took some soap pods from the edge of the pool.

He was distracted and annoyed, so his movements weren't very gentle. His long hair tangled together, rolling into a knot. Just as Jiang Xun was about to yank it apart, a pair of hands took over.

Shen Que stood behind him, gently taking the soap pods. "Let this subject do it. Your Majesty has a wound on your forehead. You can't see it yourself, and if it gets wet, it will easily become inflamed."

Jiang Xun was startled.

This had not happened in his past life.

At that time, his emotions were volatile, and he had little patience with Shen Que. He would explode at the slightest touch, thrashing about like a bristling hedgehog. Shen Que had to weigh every word carefully and act cautiously when speaking to him; it was impossible for him to take the initiative to wash his hair.

By this time, Shen Que had already gathered up his long hair, carefully applying the soap pods all over while avoiding the wound on his forehead. Then he scooped up hot spring water and rinsed it down. Following that, his fingertips massaged across Jiang Xun's scalp, separating the hair to ensure the roots were washed clean as well. After checking it over, he said, "Your Majesty, it's done."

Jiang Xun remained motionless.

He was very unaccustomed to Shen Que's sudden overstepping of boundaries, his fine hairs standing half on end. At this moment, System 55 swam over with a splash, displaying: "Host, it's complete."

This much intimate contact was enough.

Jiang Xun stood up. "Men, help me change."

Shen Que subconsciously reached out to grab the clothes on the edge, but Jiang Xun bypassed him and walked up. Putting on a bath towel, he walked out from behind the screen and raised his voice, "Wang An, call someone in to serve me while I change."

Ancient clothes were cumbersome. Without anyone to help, Jiang Xun truly wouldn't be able to put them on.

Attendants filed in to help the emperor dress, while Shen Que, behind the screen, sank his body a bit lower into the bath.

Wait until Jiang Xun was dressed and the attendants clustered around him to leave, Shen Que finally came out of the hot spring. He lowered his eyes, sorted everything out, and tied his robes, once again looking like a noble and unblemished civil official. Only then did he re-enter the emperor's bedchamber.

Jiang Xun had already gotten into bed.

He lay on his side on the dragon bed, his fingertips sliding across System 55's screen, stopping at the script interface.

System 55 bashfully let him poke it. As an intelligent system, its previous hosts hadn't liked poking it much. But Jiang Xun, seemingly because he was a high school student accustomed to poking study machines and computers, treated System 55 like a regular machine.

Shen Que tentatively knelt by the edge of the bed, only to hear Jiang Xun say, "Get up, get into bed."

If it weren't for the system's requirements, he wouldn't let Shen Que kneel even once.

Shen Que lay down flat beside the emperor. Sleeping on the edge of the bed, he only occupied a very small space, an arm's distance away from the emperor. His fingers gripped the brocade quilt, silently twisting tightly.

He was already prepared for what would happen next.

Jiang Xun, however, only looked at the screen. Poking it again, he switched to the script log: "Master Cunxi, if you want me to let Xue Jin go, you'll have to pay a price."

Shen Que replied, "Naturally."

Jiang Xun: "From now on, you will live within the palace walls and are not permitted to leave without a summons. There is a Yaoguang Hall on the west side of the imperial palace; you will reside there from now on."

He turned his head away, not looking at Shen Que's expression.

Yaoguang Hall's location was special. It was adjacent to the inner palace, yet outside of it. It was the palace chamber where the late emperor specifically kept his male favorites. For an orthodox civil minister to enter this place was nothing short of an insult.

Shen Que said, "Alright."

After a while, he asked again, "Your Majesty, what about my official position?"

Jiang Xun: "It remains entirely unchanged. You will carry on as usual during the day."

In his previous life, his relationship with Shen Que was very stiff. He detained the man in the palace, dismissed him from all his posts, and forbade him from communicating with the outside world. But the plot didn't directly describe this part; it only stated that the emperor humiliated the Imperial Tutor, trapping him in the palace and granting him residence in Yaoguang Hall.

Jiang Xun also trapped him in the palace and granted him residence in Yaoguang Hall. Anyway, the Grand Secretariat had to come to the imperial palace to handle affairs. Working during the day and being a male favorite at night—neither would delay the other.

Before the current reign, Jiang Xun's older brothers had fought fiercely, repeatedly causing turbulence in the court and among the public. Due to taking sides and factional strife, batches upon batches of people died.

Now, there were hardly any capable officials left in the royal court. In his previous life, when he removed Shen Que, the outer court was thrown into chaotic turmoil for quite a while. Many government decrees were established and then abolished, orders changing from morning to evening, leaving the commoners in the capital suffering unspeakably. In this life, Jiang Xun did not want to repeat those same mistakes.

System 55 said quietly, "Working during the day, and also working at night. Isn't this too exploitative?"

Jiang Xun was originally stroking it with his fingers, but paused upon hearing this. Shen Que had already said, "Alright."

He waited for the emperor's further instructions, but having finished his lines, Jiang Xun refused to say another word. He didn't even look at Shen Que, just maintaining his sideways posture, and it was unknown if he had fallen asleep.

Shen Que waited until his breathing evened out, then tucked him in.

Early the next morning, Wang An was waiting outside the palace hall.

Yesterday, as soon as Jiang Xun gave the order, the long-abandoned Yaoguang Hall was tidied up once again, furnished with furniture and ornaments.

When Shen Que got up, the emperor was still sleeping. He followed Wang An across more than half the palace to enter Yaoguang Hall.

A charcoal fire had already been lit, using the most expensive silver-thread charcoal. The hall was as warm as spring. To maintain the operation of this palace, it would cost a considerable amount of silver.

Shen Que: "Eunuch Wang, is this slightly overstepping?"

There were fixed quotas for food, clothing, and expenditures in the palace. Different ranks used specific items. Shen Que's status was currently peculiar; he should try his best to keep a low profile.

Wang An, however, replied, "His Majesty commanded to make the charcoal fire in your hall warmer."

Shen Que paused, then asked again, "Did His Majesty say anything else?"

Wang An: "He only ordered this one sentence, nothing else."

Shen Que's legs were afraid of the cold and prone to rheumatism, but for some later plot points, he had to kneel. Jiang Xun had to make early preparations.

Wang An: "Please take a look, are you lacking anything in food, clothing, or daily necessities?"

Shen Que shook his head. "None."

The facilities in the room were complete, even slightly better than at his own home.

After inspecting the palace, he returned to Wenyuan Pavilion to review memorials. The other Grand Secretaries were all greatly shocked to see him come out alive. Their gazes lingered on Shen Que for a long time, particularly noting his legs. Only when Shen Que sat down did they cough softly and withdraw their sights.

Because Shen Que had knelt for a long time, even though he tried his best to hide it, his walking was still unsteady. Everyone saw it and knew in their hearts what it meant.

In front of his seat, someone was already waiting.

The one waiting was Shen Que's nephew, the new jinshi scholar Shen Xiu. Shen Que had watched him grow up from a young age, so they were fairly close. Yesterday, when Shen Que entered the palace, the Shen family was in a state of panic. He had found a familiar Grand Secretary to accommodate him and had been waiting here all along for news of Shen Que.

Seeing Shen Que finally come out, Shen Xiu breathed a sigh of relief. He leaned closer, looking him up and down. "Little Uncle, are you alright?"

Shen Que shook his head. "I'm fine."

Shen Xiu: "Word has spread throughout the palace that you knelt in front of the hall for several hours just to see His Majesty once."

He muttered, "In the current situation, he's still making things difficult for you. The young Heir Xue is also still locked up in prison and hasn't been released. Does he want to ruin you too? If you ask me, out of all the late emperor's children, which one wasn't a dragon among men? He was the only one who was incompetent and worthless. Why did it have to be him who inherited the..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Shen Que sternly reprimanded, "Watch your words!"

Shen Xiu hadn't been an adult for long. Facing his close younger uncle, he couldn't help his youthful temperament, blurting out whatever came to mind.

Startled by Shen Que's tone, Shen Xiu argued back, "Little Uncle, but that's what everyone is saying!"

Both inside and outside the royal court, no matter how respectful they appeared towards the new emperor on the surface, behind his back, who wouldn't say, "Heaven has no eyes, the world is unjust"? The late emperor had so many outstanding princes, all well-versed in both civil and military affairs, with exceptional talent and learning. Jiang Xun was the only unpresentable black sheep among them, yet ironically, it was this black sheep who became the emperor.

Let alone the fact that he barely recognized a few characters, his handwriting was uglier than a dog's scratching, and he was completely ignorant of the classics, history, philosophy, and literature collections. He could be called entirely useless. How could such a mediocre person inherit the great throne?

Shen Que frowned deeply and scolded in a low voice, "Shen Xiu, the palace is a forbidden ground. How can it allow you to spout such nonsense?"

Shen Xiu was a bit unconvinced but didn't dare openly defy Shen Que. He only mumbled softly, "But this isn't nonsense... Little Uncle, tell me yourself. You were the teacher for all His Highnesses. Of all the princes you taught, who was the worst?"

"..."

Gripping his Huzhou brush, Shen Que didn't answer directly. He merely said, "Shen Xiu, your words today were insolent. Later, go back and kneel in the ancestral hall for an hour. If you dare spout such outrageous nonsense again, don't blame me for bringing out the family discipline when we get home."

Shen Xiu sat down sheepishly, whispering, "You know it well in your heart too."

The current Emperor was an uneducated, incompetent good-for-nothing; everyone knew this clearly.

Shen Que ignored him, simply opening a memorial.

The topmost one had been delivered urgently. It came from Lianghu and reported on the drought. Spring hadn't yet arrived, but the weather was already somewhat abnormal. Song Zhizhang, the Prefect of Lianghu, submitted a memorial, hoping the imperial court would allocate funds in advance to prevent floods and droughts.

Shen Que read it word by word, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

Since ancient times, natural disasters had always been a headache for dynasties. Droughts and floods caused immense harm to the people's livelihood, yet there was a lack of effective countermeasures. As for allocating funds—how to allocate them and how to use them were also troublesome issues. After reading it for a long while, Shen Que cautiously picked up his brush to write: "Requires further deliberation."

In the palace hall, as soon as Shen Que left, Jiang Xun opened his eyes.

Back in the modern era, he suffered from mild neurasthenia, experiencing insomnia and many dreams. After arriving in Great Wei, it grew even more severe. Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw the raging fire in the capital, the night lit up in all directions, and ten thousand ghosts crying in unison. He couldn't sleep deeply and could only rest in light slumber.

He dragged it out until the incompetent emperor's usual waking hour before Jiang Xun finally got out of bed. Looking listless, Wang An came over to tidy the emperor's appearance and asked respectfully, "What plans does Your Majesty have for today?"

Jiang Xun had set up a Leopard Quarter in the palace for singing, dancing, and banquets. He didn't manage state affairs much, engaging in pleasure-seeking every day. Wang An asking this meant he was asking what he wanted to play with today.

Jiang Xun, however, replied, "I am weary today. I will sleep a bit longer. You may leave."

Wang An was momentarily stunned, then bowed and withdrew.

Jiang Xun tightly shut all the doors, took out a brush and ink, and spread out some Xuan paper.

The Four Treasures of the Study were available within the bedchamber, but Jiang Xun hadn't used them before. The incompetent emperor's handwriting was ugly, and he was unwilling to write, so a thin layer of dust had settled on them.

He wiped away the dust, added water to grind the ink, and then, suspending his wrist as he held the brush, took a deep breath and began to recall.

System 55 lay beside him: "Host, what are you writing?"

Jiang Xun: "A viable plan for the dams and bridges in Lianghu."

In his past life, he had traveled all over the lands north and south of the river. Every time he saw a water conservancy project, he would always study it closely and simulate how it could be applied to Great Wei's situation.

Although modern engineering was far more complex than now, the principles were the same.

Over the course of several decades, Jiang Xun became completely familiar with the water conditions in Lianghu. His brush moved fluidly, effortlessly writing out thousands of words in an instant.

System 55 peeked around. "Host, your handwriting is quite beautiful."

Jiang Xun: "Is it?"

System 55: "Yes, more beautiful than any of my previous hosts... Oh, Bai Yu's serious writing should be about the same as yours. Xiao Shao is slightly worse, and Xie Yu and Lin You are far behind."

As the system listed them off familiarly, Jiang Xun smiled. "That's because I've practiced it before."

In the modern era, he had specifically practiced calligraphy, copying out the passed-down stone inscriptions of Yan Zhenqing, Liu Gongquan, and others one by one. While his calligraphy might not pierce through the back of the paper, it was still full of forceful, metallic strokes, possessing the demeanor of a great master.

Jiang Xun couldn't fool Wang An for too long with the excuse of "light slumber." The chief eunuch serving the emperor had to constantly monitor the emperor's state so as to conveniently appear when the emperor had needs. He would come in to take a look every half an hour, so Jiang Xun was pressed for time.

Unable to write too much, he cut out the complex parts and simplified the rest, finishing it in one stroke. He even specifically used the faster-to-write running script, his handwriting elegant and free-spirited.

Just as he finished writing the text, Wang An was quietly pushing the door open, peering inside.

Jiang Xun blew the ink dry and tucked the document into his sleeve.