Stunned

Shen Xiu had just woken up, but his strength was terrifyingly great, nearly tearing off a section of his uncle's sleeve.

Shen Que frowned slightly: "What is it?"

Shen Xiu clung to him: "Just now when Master Xun was checking my pulse, I... I saw his face under the white gauze!"

Shen Que: "Mhm."

He sat down by the bed, picked up the purple clay teapot, and poured a cup of tea: "You saw it, so what?"

Shen Xiu: "I, I even doubted my own eyes... God, Uncle, do you know who he is? He-he-he-he is...!"

As he spoke, his hands began to tremble.

Shen Que picked up the teacup and used the lid to skim the foam off the top: "Mhm, who is he?"

Shen Xiu: "You might think I saw wrong, but I absolutely didn't, I checked twice... he, but his face is His Majesty's!"

His thoughts were chaotic, and his chatterbox nature flared up again. He began to babble to himself, ignoring everything else: "I originally thought I was dizzy and saw wrong. After all, given Master Xun's abilities, the difference between him and the one in the palace is like heaven and earth! But... but their appearances are exactly the same! I secretly peeked several times. Then I remembered when Master Xun stopped me, saying that everything back then was his doing, combined with that unfathomable control over the royal court, I can be almost certain that he is the Emperor!"

Having finished, he stared at Shen Que, waiting for his uncle's verdict.

Would it be belief, doubt, or some other reaction?

Shen Que took a sip of tea: "Oh."

He said indifferently, "If you spout any more nonsense about 'heaven and earth,' I'll report to His Majesty and have him flog you again."

"..."

Shen Xiu clutched his sleeve and repeated in disbelief, "I said! Master Xun is His Majesty!"

Shen Que rescued his sleeve from his foolish nephew's hands, patted it twice, and said in disgust, "It's enough that you know this. His Majesty has his reasons for hiding his identity. Since he doesn't want to be exposed, just pretend you don't know. You can't tell Xue Jin about this either."

"..."

Shen Xiu stared blankly at Shen Que. He had just woken up from his illness, and his mind was still not quite clear. He only asked suspiciously, "Huh?"

Shen Que: "The heavens know, the earth knows, you know, and I know. Do not bring it up again."

Saying that, Shen Que put down the teacup: "Now is a time when people are needed. Since you're awake, rest for another two days, then get up and get to work."

Shen Xiu still looked at him blankly: "...Oh."

He looked as foolish as could be, lost and in a trance. Seeing that Shen Que was about to leave, Shen Xiu finally thrashed around violently: "In other words, you already knew! He really is!"

At this point, Shen Xiu stopped abruptly.

Shen Que had already lifted the hem of his robe and stepped over the threshold, only giving a slight nod: "He is."

Shen Xiu: "..."

With a thud, he fell flat on his back onto the bed.

When Shen Xiu was sick, the room was quite lively. Doctors and maidservants went in and out, turning him over and changing his clothes. People frequently came to his bedside to check on him; Shen Que came daily to confirm his condition, and Xue Jin often visited.

But as soon as he started getting better, the maidservants' workload decreased and they no longer needed to come and go frequently. Shen Que was busy reviewing documents, and Xue Jin went to handle military affairs. Both of them forgot about Shen Xiu and started busying themselves with their own tasks.

Thus, Shen Xiu became an unlucky child whom no one cared about. After his bout of illness, he seemed to have burned his brain silly. He would often stare blankly at the ceiling, muttering nonsense, looking like a neglected weed, quite pitiful.

Jiang Xun saw this and was worried that the illness might have lingering effects, which would delay Shen Xiu from becoming an Inspecting Censor and smacking people with his court tablet in the royal court in the future. Therefore, he came every day to examine him.

He still didn't know that Shen Xiu had already seen his true face under the veiled hat. He had fastened the white gauze tightly. When he stepped into the courtyard and placed his medical box at the head of the bed, Shen Xiu shot up from the bed like a frightened bird.

Jiang Xun frowned: "You just recovered, you should lie down. Don't toss around so violently."

"..."

Jiang Xun sat down: "I'm here for a follow-up examination. Give me your hand."

Shen Xiu shrank back like a quail, trembling as he reached out his hand and placed it on the pulse pillow Jiang Xun took out.

As soon as Jiang Xun pressed his fingers on it, he let out a sound of surprise: "Your heart is beating so fast."

He wasn't a proper doctor, but even if he hadn't eaten pork, he had seen pigs run. Having pretended for so long, he looked the part. He could at least feel a basic heart rate.

Right now, Shen Xiu's pulse was trembling violently. He was lying honestly on the bed, but his heart was pounding like he had just run eight hundred meters, thump thump.

Jiang Xun looked over suspiciously. Shen Xiu's face was completely red, and his blood pressure looked ready to explode.

Jiang Xun frowned, "System 55, are there really no lingering effects? He doesn't look normal like this."

System 55 was also suspicious: "Yeah, tachycardia, high blood pressure, extreme excitement of the sympathetic nervous system... But I didn't detect any problems?"

It poked its host: "Take his pulse a bit longer, I'll check carefully again."

Jiang Xun feigned a contemplative look and continued taking his pulse.

Amidst the shared confusion of System 55 and Jiang Xun, Shen Xiu's heartbeat got faster and faster, and his blood pressure went higher and higher, almost reaching the brink of fainting...

System 55's small screen was filled with huge confusion: "It's really so strange."

Before Shen Xiu suffocated, Jiang Xun moved his hand away.

He tried to build a closer relationship with Shen Xiu, so he said, "I also heard about your political achievements in Lianghu. Very good."

Shen Xiu smiled awkwardly: "Th-that's because of your good guidance, sir."

Jiang Xun: "I also tasted the peaches from Lianghu. This year's new peaches are very sweet."

Shen Xiu continued to smile awkwardly.

Jiang Xun put the pulse pillow back into the medical box and casually chatted with Shen Xiu: "In the letter you sent at the time, you mentioned that you built a dam in the valley path squeezed between two mountains to preserve soil and water. How exactly did you do it? How high did you build it?"

Jiang Xun had learned this knowledge in books, but there was a long way to go between knowledge and practice. For Shen Xiu to master it in a few months showed his extraordinary talent.

Speaking of work, Shen Xiu finally mustered a bit of energy.

He explained it to Jiang Xun in detail, from site selection to experiments to results. When he reached the happy parts, his voice raised, inevitably bordering on offense. When he realized his impropriety, his momentum instantly softened, and he secretly observed Jiang Xun out of the corner of his eye. Seeing that the Emperor had no reaction and still calmly agreed with him, Shen Xiu became happy again.

After repeating this cycle, over the course of an afternoon, Jiang Xun had basically figured out the current situation in Lianghu, and Shen Xiu had also become a bit more familiar with Jiang Xun.

Even though he knew the person beneath the white gauze was the Emperor, right now the Emperor was wearing a veiled hat and speaking to him softly, discussing the details of the Lianghu matters. So he could still treat Jiang Xun as Master Xun... right?

Shen Xiu convinced himself.

And so, as they chatted, his blood pressure and heartbeat finally returned to normal, and the atmosphere between him and Jiang Xun also improved significantly.

But these days didn't last long; Shen Xiu couldn't continue lying down.

The war situation grew tense, and everyone was in a hurry. Shen Que's documents piled up higher and higher, and Xue Jin hadn't returned to the manor to sleep for days. Everyone knew that the final moment was approaching.

The war had been dragging on for a long time. Northern Di was always known for fighting quick battles. With Qingping Pass holding out for so long, their food supply was already running short. Furthermore, the grasslands had suffered natural disasters and man-made calamities this year, with countless cattle and sheep dying of disease. They had no food even if they retreated. Their only chance of survival was to gather the strength of their entire tribe to forcibly conquer Qingping Pass.

One day, the few of them were discussing things as usual. Jiang Xun knew nothing about military strategy, so he just listened from the sidelines. But as he listened, Shen Que suddenly said, "Xue Jin, before the battle breaks out, escort Master Xun back to the capital."

Jiang Xun was taken aback.

Shen Que: "Now that the epidemic is almost cured, most of the remaining injuries in the camp will be from swords and arrows, and Master Xun is not skilled in treating those."

Jiang Xun's medical skills relied entirely on System 55; he really didn't know how to treat wounds.

Shen Que: "As things stand, all necessary preparations are complete, and logistics have been fully deployed. Everything that follows will depend solely on Little General Xue. It would only add unnecessary danger for Master Xun to remain in the city."

Shen Xiu glanced at his uncle, then at Jiang Xun. He thought to himself that once the battle broke out, the city would be filled with beacon smoke, and the ground would definitely be littered with stray arrows and the flames of war. If anything happened to the Emperor at Qingping Pass, chopping off his and Xue Jin's heads together wouldn't be enough to compensate.

He quickly raised his hand in agreement: "I agree!"

Xue Jin said blankly, "Actually, the odds of winning this battle are very high. You guys can stay in the Zhenbei Marquis Manor and eat and drink as usual, it won't take long... Ow!"

He was stomped on fiercely by Shen Xiu.

The young general looked utterly confused. He was the only one among the three who didn't know Jiang Xun's identity, nor did he understand why Shen Que insisted on sending him away, but he still agreed: "...True, it won't take long for this battle to end, there's nothing to worry about. Um, Master Shen is an important minister, and Master Xun has been working hard day and night and must be tired. It's good for you guys to return to the capital early. Shall I send a squad of troops to escort you back?"

The "you guys" he referred to meant the three of them: Shen Que, Shen Xiu, and Jiang Xun.

Shen Xiu kicked him again.

Shen Que only wanted to send Jiang Xun back, but Xue Jin had to drag all three of them into it.

Jiang Xun pondered for a moment.

Xue Jin handled matters steadily, unlike Shen Xiu who was erratic. Since he said there was no problem with the battle, it was practically guaranteed. Them staying here was indeed of no use.

So, he nodded and agreed.

But at this time, it wouldn't be appropriate to say they were only sending Jiang Xun, so Shen Que could only agree.

That night, the few of them drank a farewell toast at the pass.

Jiang Xun merely touched his lips to the cup, not drinking much. Xue Jin wanted to urge him to drink more, but was firmly held back by Shen Xiu, completely unable to break free.

Shen Xiu bit the young general's ear and whispered, "Are you looking to die? Just behave yourself!"

Xue Jin looked aggrieved: "I just wanted to offer a toast..."

Wasn't it always like this every time they saw someone off?

At this time, Jiang Xun leaned against the city wall and looked out from Qingping Pass. He only saw the vast sky and northern desert, with the Big Dipper hanging high. The mountains rolled continuously, vast and shadowed, while the majestic pass beneath his feet had stood for a thousand years. In his previous life, it was exactly here that a breach was torn open, becoming the starting point for the tragedy of the next fifty years.

Jiang Xun's heart tightened. He turned to look at the young general. Xue Jin was standing with Shen Xiu and Shen Que. This emperor on horseback, who would go down in history, was currently in the prime of his youth, and his two most trusted ministers were surrounding him, much like stars revolving around the Big Dipper. Seeing this, Jiang Xun felt relieved.

In this life, too much had already changed. The events of the past life would not happen again.

Thus, Jiang Xun didn't wait for Xue Jin to urge him and raised his cup, downing the liquor inside.

The liquor was a strong spirit commonly used at the frontier fortress. The military camp was bitterly cold, and strong liquor could ward off the cold. The one Xue Jin brought was called "Shaodaozi Liquor". It had a high alcohol content and a strong flavor. One gulp made the throat burn with pain as if cut by a knife, hence the name "Shaodaozi".

After Jiang Xun drank it, he started coughing.

"..."

And so, the "stars revolving around the Big Dipper" in Jiang Xun's eyes began to glare furiously at the "Big Dipper".

Shen Que looked coldly at Xue Jin without saying a word, while Shen Xiu punched him and cursed, "Idiot Xue Jin, you're freaking dead!"

They fooled around at the pass for a while. Jiang Xun blacked out a bit and couldn't remember clearly; he only recalled returning to the manor with unsteady steps, washing up, and going to sleep.

This night, exceptionally, he didn't dream about the seven days after his death.

The next day, a carriage drove out of the manor, carrying the three of them back to the capital.

Jiang Xun had a hangover, and his head throbbed. He packed his things, carefully fastened his veiled hat, and stepped onto the carriage.

Shen Xiu and Shen Que were both there. Strangely, Shen Que sat on the far left of the cushions, and Shen Xiu sat on the far right. The two blood relatives didn't sit together, but instead left the center seat for Jiang Xun.

Jiang Xun found it slightly odd but didn't overthink it, taking his seat between them.

The coachman flicked his whip, and the carriage swayed forward. The journey was very bumpy. Jiang Xun exchanged a few pleasantries with the two before growing sleepy.

Leaving Qingping Pass felt like putting a major burden to rest. His hands and feet felt weak and soft, and the dual exhaustion of his body and mind surged up all at once. Jiang Xun was on the verge of falling asleep.

But because he was in the middle, he had nowhere to lean.

So Jiang Xun forced himself to stay awake.

What he didn't notice was that Shen Que quietly shifted his shoulder closer.

The emperor was wearing his veiled hat, but his head still nodded up and down. Anyone with eyes could see that he was sleepy, exhausted and lethargic, in desperate need of rest.

It was a very suitable angle; as long as Jiang Xun unconsciously tilted sideways, he would land on the Imperial Tutor's shoulder.

But Jiang Xun forcibly held on for nearly half an hour. He swayed back and forth but simply wouldn't lean over.

When he was truly so drowsy that he absolutely had to sleep, Jiang Xun tilted his veiled hat slightly, hesitated for a moment, and asked for Shen Xiu's permission in a low voice: "Can I lean against you to sleep for a bit?"

Between the two people present, Shen Que and Shen Xiu, given his identity as Master Xun, it was of course more appropriate to lean against Shen Xiu.

Shen Xiu was nominally half his disciple, and having exchanged so many letters, they had grown familiar with each other. Meanwhile, Shen Que held the esteemed position of Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion and the current Imperial Tutor. Though Jiang Xun was used to hugging him in his daily life, while wearing the guise of Master Xun, Jiang Xun pursed his lips and surprisingly didn't dare to touch him.

He didn't even dare to rest his head on him.

The Emperor's image was already terrible enough in Shen Que's eyes. Jiang Xun was already acting like a smashed pot and wasn't afraid of things getting slightly worse. But Master Xun and Shen Que enjoyed pleasant conversations, and Master Xun was very much favored by Shen Que. Jiang Xun subconsciously wanted to preserve this impression and didn't want to be overly improper.

As for Shen Xiu, it didn't matter.

Shen Xiu: "Huh?"

His mouth fell open into an "O" shape.

—Uncle is right beside you, and you want to lean on me?

Jiang Xun: "Can I lean?"

Could Shen Xiu even say no? He could only nod like a chick pecking at rice: "Yes, yes, go ahead and lean."

So Jiang Xun closed his eyes and leaned against him lethargically.

"..."

Shen Xiu braced himself and raised his eyes, meeting Shen Que's freezing gaze.