Chapter 35 – My waist hurts.
Zhao Qi: ???
Hello, do you have something to say? If not, don’t speak nonsense, I can’t take anymore, thank you.
Xiao Shiqing glanced at Zhao Qi, his eyes writing two big words: Explain.
Zhao Qi felt wronged, waving his hands, “I don’t know, I don’t know anything!”
Li Chisu, with an “I understand” look, said, “Then it was my mistake. Prime Minister, just pretend you didn’t hear anything.” He paused, speaking meaningfully, “If Your Majesty wants to drink in the future, remember to invite me.”
Zhao Qi: “…Huh?”
Li Chisu smiled, “When Your Majesty is drunk, the things you do are not only interesting but also… hard to resist.”
Zhao Qi felt the urge to cough up blood. Seeing Xiao Shiqing’s face darken and Li Chisu’s mischievous expression, he couldn’t help but cry out inwardly: This is a disaster!
Xiao Shiqing’s smile faded, and his tone turned cold, “Does the Emperor treat everyone the same when drunk, regardless of who they are? Interesting indeed.”
Zhao Qi, unable to bear it any longer, pointed at Li Chisu and stood up abruptly, “Li Chisu, if you keep talking nonsense, don’t blame me for being ruthless! Ouch—ouch—ouch—” A sharp pain shot through his waist, causing Zhao Qi to cry out, “Help, my waist, it’s twisted!”
Li Chisu stepped forward to support Zhao Qi, but Xiao Shiqing got there first.
“What use are you,” Xiao Shiqing gently massaged Zhao Qi’s waist, “You should just go back to the palace and rest.”
Zhao Qi, holding onto Xiao Shiqing’s hand, sat back down weakly, “I’m fine.”
“Your Majesty doesn’t look fine. Prime Minister, your technique for massaging the waist seems inexperienced, why not let me try?” Li Chisu smiled, “I am confident my technique is better.”
Xiao Shiqing sneered, “Prince Zhaonan is indeed skilled in this area, I naturally can’t compare.”
Was it his imagination? Why did it feel like Li Chisu and Xiao Shiqing were… flirting?
Zhao Qi calmed himself and asked, “Prince Zhaonan, when are you returning to Nanzhou?”
Li Chisu: “…”
“My birthday is over, if you have no other matters, pack up and leave soon.” Zhao Qi said sincerely, “The officials and people of Nanzhou need you.”
“To be honest, Your Majesty,” Li Chisu smiled, “Before I left for the capital, the civil and military officials of Nanzhou repeatedly reminded me to return with a wife.”
Zhao Qi, puzzled, asked, “What do you mean?”
Xiao Shiqing said indifferently, “He means he’s looking for a princess to marry.”
At this, Zhao Qi’s heart tightened. He wasn’t sure if Li Chisu had given up the idea of marrying him as the princess, so he tentatively said, “Then the officials of Nanzhou must have the same thought as me and the Empress Dowager. My younger sister, Princess Jiayan, is seventeen and unmarried…”
Li Chisu said, “Your Majesty, the Prime Minister summoned me here for an important matter, didn’t he?”
“Oh, right, right. The main business is important, I almost got sidetracked by you guys.” Zhao Qi was a bit annoyed. Look at them, three of them, one emperor, one powerful minister, and one vassal prince, instead of discussing important matters, they spent half the day talking about who had better skills—at this rate, how could the Great Jing not be destroyed?
Xiao Shiqing said, “Last night at the palace banquet, the first prince of Xixia left midway and disappeared; after the banquet, he was found dead behind a rockery in the Imperial Garden, bleeding from all orifices, with no other wounds on his body, indicating he was poisoned. It was heard that Prince Zhaonan was also seen alone in the Imperial Garden last night. What were you doing there?”
Li Chi Su calmly said, “The reason I went to the Imperial Garden was because I was invited by someone.”
Xiao Shi Qing raised an eyebrow slightly. “Who?”
Li Chi Su shook his head lightly. “I don’t know either.” He took out a note and handed it to Zhao Qi. “This is what I received at the palace banquet.”
Zhao Qi read the note aloud, “Please have the Prince come to the Imperial Garden for an important matter—unsigned?”
“Yeah, I waited for a long time in the Imperial Garden, but the person who invited me didn’t show up.”
Zhao Qi passed the note to Xiao Shi Qing. “Prime Minister, take a look.”
Xiao Shi Qing pinched the note with his fingertips, then sniffed it lightly. “I will have someone investigate this.”
Li Chi Su nodded. “During the brief time I was at the Imperial Garden, just two cups of tea, I didn’t see the person who invited me, nor did I see the Prince of Western Xia. However, I did see two interesting individuals.” Li Chi Su paused halfway through his words and asked Zhao Qi, “Your Majesty, care to guess who they were?”
Zhao Qi didn’t give him any face. “I won’t guess.”
Li Chi Su sighed helplessly. “Your Majesty.”
“If you want to say it, say it,” Zhao Qi said woodenly, “I won’t force you.”
Xiao Shi Qing’s lips curled slightly. “Prince Huai and Rong Tang.”
“What?” Zhao Qi exclaimed.
“Prince Zhaonan saw them both in the Imperial Garden.”
Li Chi Su smiled. “Truly, nothing escapes the Prime Minister’s eyes.”
Curious, Zhao Qi asked, “How did the Prime Minister know?”
“At the palace banquet, they left their seats one after another, and considering their previous relationship, it’s normal for them to make private arrangements.”
“Does Your Majesty wish to summon Rong Tang and Prince Huai for questioning?” Li Chi Su asked.
Zhao Qi hesitated. “This…”
Xiao Shi Qing glanced at Zhao Qi and asked, “After Prince Zhaonan didn’t meet the inviter, where did he go?”
Li Chi Su pressed his lips together. “I can’t say, and I dare not say.”
Suddenly, Zhao Qi had a guess. “Please trouble Prince Zhaonan to make a trip. The Prince can go back to rest.”
“Alright.” Li Chi Su looked at Zhao Qi affectionately. “Your Majesty, we’ll drink together as you promised.”
Pointing outside the window, Zhao Qi said, “Do you see that tree outside?”
“I see it.”
“It’s cooler there. Go and wait.”
Teased like this, Li Chi Su laughed instead of getting angry. “Ah, if only Your Majesty were as lovely as last night more often.”
With that, Li Chi Su walked away, paying no heed to how displeased the two behind him looked.
Xiao Shi Qing seemed to be suppressing his anger, while Zhao Qi, though unaware of the reason, nervously twisted his fingers. “Brother?”
Xiao Shi Qing uttered a grunt. “Come here.”
“Brother called me over. Is… something wrong?” Survival instinct made Zhao Qi’s tone slightly coquettish. “My back hurts, and I can’t walk.”
Xiao Shi Qing remained silent for a moment before asking, “Why does it hurt?”
Because that bastard went too hard.
Did you think I’d actually say that?! I’m not stupid!
Zhao Qi thought for a moment. “Because I drank too much last night? I heard that some people’s backs hurt when they drink too much.”
Xiao Shi Qing looked at him with complicated emotions. “…Forget it.” He walked up to Zhao Qi. “Come.”
“Go where?”
“Back to the palace to rest.”
“Oh. Wait, ‘come’?”
Xiao Shi Qing said coldly, “You said you can’t walk.”
“…Yes, but can’t you carry me on your back?” Zhao Qi couldn’t understand why everyone liked to princess-carry him. Shouldn’t the normal reaction of a straight guy be to carry on the back to show off his strength?
Xiao Shi Qing said coldly, “No.”
“Oh.”
Zhao Qi lay on Xiao Shi Qing’s back. “Brother Prime Minister, if you’re tired, just put me down. I can walk by myself.”
“Not tired.”
“But Brother, you’re obviously walking slower than before.”
“Shut up.”
“I won’t.” Zhao Qi said, “Brother, the Hall of Government is quite far from Yonghua Palace. You’re not Changzhou. How can you carry me so far?”
Xiao Shi Qing stopped. “Then let him come and carry you?”
Zhao Qi thought it was a good idea. “Okay.”
Xiao Shi Qing chuckled.
In any case, Xiao Shi Qing carried Zhao Qi back to Haiyan Palace. After putting him down, he left without saying much. Zhao Qi scratched his head. Didn’t he just say he was going back to Yonghua Palace?
At night, Jiang Dehai brought supper. Seeing Zhao Qi sitting at the table with a troubled expression, he said, “The Imperial Kitchen made Emperor Xi’s favorite pig’s trotters. Please have one, Emperor.”
Zhao Qi didn’t look at him. “Take it away, take it away, and I’m not hungry.”
Jiang Dehai put the pig’s trotters aside and walked over to Zhao Qi to see. “Is it Rong, Li, Xiao, He… Your Majesty, are you writing a little person?”
“Um, these four people went to Yonghua Palace last night. Each one of them has the suspicion of sleeping with me!” Zhao Qi stared at the four words, and hated not to stare at a hole. “Who is it, who is it! Lao Jiang, what do you think?”
Jiang Dehai thought, “The slave thinks it’s Prince Zhaonan.”
Zhao Qi shook his hands. “I don’t like your answer, you give me a change!”
Jiang Dehai replied, “That’s the prince?”
Zhao Qi bowed his head. “I can’t accept this answer.”
Jiang Dehai smiled bitterly. “That is the General He?”
“Changzhou is not that kind of person.” Zhao Qi uses a pen to cross the word “He” and crosses the word, “he is my brother, he can’t come up hard.”
Jiang Dehai shook hands, “that is the only remaining premier.”
Zhao Qi said and shook his head, “he considered the future, I was a word in the puppet to make a puppet – who has seen that?”
The master and servant fell into silence together. Jiang Dehai said, “Could there be someone else who entered Yonghua Palace that His Majesty isn’t aware of?”
Zhao Qi’s face turned pale. “No, four people are already too much. If there are more, I might as well just throw myself off a cliff.”
Outside, Xiao Jinzi’s voice came, “Your Majesty, Young Master Rong is here.”
Why would Rong Tang come to find him so late? Remembering the kiss Rong Tang had pressed to his forehead this morning, Zhao Qi’s cheeks flushed. “Tell him I’m already asleep.”
Xiao Jinzi replied, “Yes.”
“Wait,” Zhao Qi turned over the paper with writing on it, “actually, let him in.”
After Rong Tang entered, Zhao Qi couldn’t seem to focus his gaze. “What are you looking for me for?”
“Well,” Rong Tang said, “why hasn’t Your Majesty returned to Yonghua Palace?”
Zhao Qi didn’t expect him to ask this right away, almost like a spot check. “I forgot.”
Rong Tang looked at him calmly. “Your Majesty promised me.”
“Yes,” Zhao Qi felt overwhelmed, “but I still have matters to attend to.”
At this moment, Zhao Qi felt like a scoundrel, spinning lies to placate his spouse.
Rong Tang’s demeanor turned icy. “Is it matters, or is it someone?”
Zhao Qi was baffled. “Huh?”
Rong Tang stared into his eyes. “I’ve been waiting for you. How much longer do you want me to wait?”
Wide-eyed, Zhao Qi said, “Rong Tang…”
Zhao Qi’s astonishment softened Rong Tang’s heart. He sighed and some of the chill around him dissipated. He embraced Zhao Qi from behind, resting his chin on his shoulder, and whispered softly, “Zhao Qi, don’t look at anyone else, just look at me, okay?”
Author’s Note: Rong Rong has finally lightened up a bit, but he’s going to turn dark again. Warning, Your Majesty, into the little black room.
I’ve read all the comments from yesterday. I’ve decided to take a girl’s suggestion and give the little one a name —
Little One: Father, why does my little brother have such a nice name and mine is so ugly? (╥╯^╰╥)
Qi Qi: Because your name was given by me, and your little brother’s was given by your father.
Little One: Then why did Father name me “Zhao Cao”? ←_←
Qi Qi: Because when I was pregnant with you, the word “Cao” (it means f*ck in mandarin) was on my mind the most. Hahaha.
Little One: Am I really Father’s biological child? (Thoughtful consideration)
T/N: There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~
If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!
I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!
Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!
If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield
If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’
How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection
What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love
How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep
