Chapter 49 – I will make you a lord.
Rong Tang’s words were so earnest that if Zhao Qi didn’t agree, it would seem quite unkind.
In truth, Zhao Qi had always felt like Rong Tang had a special advantage with him—a guilt trip. There were only two people in the world he couldn’t refuse: one was Xiao Shiqing, whom he didn’t dare refuse; the other was Rong Tang, whom he couldn’t bear to refuse.
“Alright, I’ll take you out of the palace with me. But it’s chaotic outside, you must stay close to me,” Zhao Qi said, as if he were instructing a three-year-old child.
Rong Tang smiled faintly, “I will stick closely to you.”
Zhao Qi changed into casual clothes, took Rong Tang and Xiao Jinzi, and left the palace by carriage.
Xiao Jinzi asked, “Your Majesty, where are we going to find the Fourth Young Master Zhao?”
“To a place I’ve nailed to the pillar of shame,” Zhao Qi said with deep pain, “Spring Breeze Pavilion.”
Rong Tang frowned, “A brothel?”
“Yes! That’s why I didn’t want you to come. In a moment, Xiao Jinzi and I will go in to find someone, and you wait for us in the carriage.”
“It doesn’t matter, I happen to want to see it.” Rong Tang opened the window and looked outside. They had already reached the busiest part of the capital. The streets were bustling with people, and the shops along the roadside were filled with the sounds of hawkers. He watched for a while and said, “This scene is no different from a year ago.” Only now, instead of his younger brother, it was his older brother accompanying him.
Rong Tang, who had been confined to the palace for a long time, showed less of his usual coldness. Zhao Qi, enduring the discomfort in his stomach, said, “There are many fun and delicious things on this street. After we handle the business, I’ll accompany you around.”
“The business between you and Fourth Young Master Zhao…” Rong Tang smiled and, seeing Zhao Qi’s pale face, asked, “Are you feeling unwell, Your Majesty?”
“Yes.” Zhao Qi covered his mouth with his hand, trying not to vomit, “I’m a bit carsick.”
“Carsick?” Rong Tang asked, “Did this happen before?”
Zhao Qi knew he wasn’t truly carsick but was suffering because of the dragon egg in his belly. “It happened before, but not as severe as today.”
Rong Tang looked at his furrowed brow, showing some concern, “I’ve heard that your southern tour will be by water. If you get seasick, you’ll suffer a lot.”
Zhao Qi replied, “We’ll see. I might not be able to go on the southern tour.”
Rong Tang was taken aback, “What do you mean?”
Zhao Qi vaguely said, “I’m not feeling well. If I don’t recover by next month, I’ll stay in the palace to recuperate. But don’t worry, I’ll arrange for someone else to take you back to Cangzhou.”
Rong Tang didn’t hesitate, “I don’t want anyone else.”
“This…” Zhao Qi had no response. It seemed Rong Tang hadn’t given up on him yet. Even though he had already rejected him clearly, did he have to say he was carrying another man’s child for Rong Tang to give up?
Someone like Rong Tang, who was so upright, would definitely lose all goodwill towards him if he knew about Zhao Qi’s drunken mistake with He Changzhou, which resulted in a dragon egg. This might indeed be a way out.
“Your Majesty,” Xiao Jinzi’s voice came from outside the carriage, “We’ve arrived at Spring Breeze Pavilion.”
Rong Tang got off the carriage first and turned to help Zhao Qi down.
Xiao Jinzi reminded, “Your Majesty, the carriage is high, be careful.”
“Yes.” Zhao Qi held Rong Tang’s wrist with one hand and protected his stomach with the other, suddenly feeling a jolt—what was wrong with him? Why was he protecting his stomach, which only had an undeveloped egg inside? Why was he acting so delicate? This wasn’t him!
Zhao Qi’s face turned pale, and he fell into deep self-doubt. He finally decided to blame Xiao Jinzi, “Nonsense, there’s nothing in my stomach to protect!”
Rong Tang said, “He didn’t tell you to protect your stomach.”
Zhao Qi: “…”
Xiao Jinzi timidly said, “Yes, I only asked Your Majesty to be careful.”
Zhao Qi, feeling embarrassed but defiant, said, “You remembered it wrong.”
As soon as they got off the carriage, they were immediately noticed by the hostess of Spring Breeze Pavilion. The young man in yellow looked pampered, with skin even fairer than the girls in the pavilion; the young man in white was a rare sight, with an ethereal and refined demeanor.
The hostess greeted them enthusiastically, “Welcome, sirs! Spring Breeze Pavilion offers the best wine, food, and girls, all at your service.”
Zhao Qi signaled to Xiao Jinzi, who handed a few gold ingots to the hostess, “Please make the arrangements.”
The hostess was overjoyed and said repeatedly, “Of course, of course, I’ll have the girls show their best skills.”
The three entered Spring Breeze Pavilion, and Zhao Qi was worried by the crowd, “How are we supposed to find someone in this sea of people?”
Just then, a familiar voice echoed through the hall, “All drinks tonight are on me, Young Master Zhao!”
Xiao Jinzi said, “Young Master, we found him!”
Zhao Qi: “…”
Zhao Qiao’s words lit up the whole hall, causing a stir. Guests toasted him, and the girls showered him with flowers. Zhao Qi made a vomiting gesture—this time, he really felt like throwing up.
“Rong Tang, find a private room to sit in. I’ll be back soon.”
Rong Tang nodded, “Alright.”
Zhao Qiao seemed to have drunk quite a bit, his face flushed, partly from alcohol, partly from the girls’ kisses. Several servants were trying to pull him back, “Young Master, please come back to the mansion. Someone from the palace has come to take you to see His Majesty!”
Zhao Qiao blew into the wine jug, swaying, “Nonsense! I’ve fallen out of favor, His Majesty won’t see me. He doesn’t want me anymore, boohoo…”
When did I ever favor you? Zhao Qi thought.
Xiao Jinzi pushed through the crowd, and Zhao Qi approached Zhao Qiao, “Xiao Qiao.”
Hearing Zhao Qi’s voice, Zhao Qiao was stunned, “Your Maj…”
“Ahem, it’s me.”
Zhao Qiao rubbed his eyes frantically. When he finally saw clearly, his eyes filled with tears, and he wailed, throwing himself at Zhao Qi.
Zhao Qi stood still, Xiao Jinzi rushed up to shield him, and Zhao Qiao ended up hugging Xiao Jinzi.
“I’m not dreaming, am I? His Majesty finally came, I’ve waited so long for you!”
So Xiao Qiao was still a big fan of his brother. Zhao Qi patted Zhao Qiao’s shoulder, “Stop crying, sober up, I have important matters to discuss with you.”
Zhao Qiao looked at Zhao Qi, then at Xiao Jinzi in his arms, confused, “I’m a bit dizzy…”
Zhao Qi slapped Zhao Qiao’s face, “Still dizzy?”
Zhao Qiao, holding his face, wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry, “No, no more.”
They found a quiet place to sit down, and Zhao Qiao eagerly poured wine for Zhao Qi, “Brother, this wine is a new product from Spring Breeze Pavilion, try it.”
“I’m not trying, get lost.”
Zhao Qiao, looking submissive, smiled ingratiatingly, “His Majesty is still angry with me.”
The earlier slap had eased most of Zhao Qi’s anger, and he decided to hold back the rest, “I don’t have time for nonsense. I need to ask you, the fertility drug you gave me last time…”
“Chang Xiang Si No. 2?” Zhao Qiao asked excitedly, “Did His Majesty use it?”
Zhao Qi’s face turned sour, “Yes.”
“Is it effective?!”
Zhao Qi’s expression soured even more, “Yes.”
Zhao Qiao grinned wickedly, “It must have been used on Rong Tang.”
“No.”
Zhao Qiao was surprised, “Then who…”
Zhao Qi lied, “A friend of mine.”
“His Majesty’s friend?” Everyone knew the current emperor had only one friend. Zhao Qiao was so shocked he almost jumped, his legs lifted high, and he stuttered, “He He He He…”
Zhao Qi mimicked Zhao Qiao’s actions, “How, how, how do you know it’s him?”
Previously it was Rong Tang, and now it’s He Changzhou. This is really… so enviable!
Zhao Qiao, red-eyed with jealousy, didn’t forget to flatter him, “Even Young General He, such a young hero, is willing to submit to the Emperor. Truly, the Emperor is unparalleled, loved by all. However, I heard that Young General He has gone to the Western Xia frontlines? On the battlefield, swords and knives have no eyes. If he, a pregnant man, gets injured, what will happen to the baby?”
“…Yes, that’s exactly it!” Zhao Qi, with a sense of vengeance, slandered He Changzhou, “So it’s difficult. After discussing with Changzhou, we decided to prioritize national affairs.”
Xiao Jinzi desperately held back his laughter, his face twitching.
Zhao Qiao asked, “Then what is the Emperor’s intention?”
Zhao Qi looked sorrowful, “This child, we don’t want it.”
Zhao Qiao was stunned, “Emperor, that is your bloodline!”
“It’s fine, there will be more bloodlines in the future,” Zhao Qi said, “Tell me, is there any way to get rid of the child in Changzhou’s belly without harming him?”
“Your Majesty, I don’t know.”
“Don’t know?!” Zhao Qi grabbed Zhao Tong’s collar, “Say it again, and I’ll kill you!”
“Please spare me, Your Majesty! I truly don’t know, but there is one person who surely does.”
“Who?”
“A miraculous doctor from Dongzhou, named Mei, who has spent most of his life studying Eastern mysticism and once served the Eastern courts for many years.”
A glimmer of hope lit up in Zhao Qi’s heart, “Where is he now?”
“In Dongzhou.”
Zhao Qi sighed, “…Oh.”
“If the Emperor wishes to see him, I can immediately go to Dongzhou to bring him here?”
Zhao Qi replied coldly, “Dongzhou is far from the capital. A round trip would take at least two months. By the time you bring him, He Changzhou’s belly would already be big.”
“Your Majesty,” Xiao Jinzi said softly, “if I remember correctly, Dongzhou is only a few days’ journey from Huai River. The Emperor can visit Dongzhou while on a southern tour.”
“No, no, no,” Zhao Qi wagged his finger, “we’ll visit Dongzhou and tour the south along the way. Xiao Qiao, prepare yourself to accompany me to Jiangnan next month.”
Zhao Qiao was overjoyed, “I will serve the Emperor with all my heart!”
“I beg you not to.” Whenever the two of them were together, nothing good ever happened.
After finishing business, Zhao Qi went to the elegant room to find Rong Tang. The room was surrounded by a group of chattering women.
“When did such a god-like young master appear in the capital? He’s not inferior to the charming Young Master Li at all.”
“I think Young Master Li is better, gentle and considerate, he understands girls the best. Although this one is peerlessly handsome, his personality is too cold. Sister Rumeng just spoke a lot, and he didn’t respond at all.”
“But Young Master Li has too many beauties around him, it’s hard to control. I’d choose the god-like young master.”
“You are all lowly, worrying about the Emperor’s business. As if they can choose you…”
Zhao Qi roughly knew who they were referring to as “Young Master Li” and couldn’t help but interject, “Definitely choose the god-like young master. What is Young Master Li compared to him? There’s no comparison at all.”
The girls, both shy and surprised, covered their faces and dispersed, saving Zhao Qi and Rong Tang the trouble of chasing them away.
Zhao Qi pushed the door open and saw Rong Tang standing by the window, with the lights of the capital behind him. His white clothes contrasted beautifully with the scene. Hearing the door open, he turned to Zhao Qi.
“Are you done?”
“Hmm,” Zhao Qi said, “It’s still early. Shall we go for a walk outside before returning to the palace?”
“I’ll take you!” Zhao Qiao popped out from behind Zhao Qi, “When it comes to fun places in the capital, no one knows better than me.”
Rong Tang frowned imperceptibly.
Zhao Qi asked, “By the way, were you serious about covering the entire bill for the guests just now?”
“Of course,” Zhao Qiao boasted, “It’s only a few thousand taels of silver, I can afford it!”
Zhao Qi thought for a moment and asked, “Xiao Qiao, do you want to be ennobled?”
Zhao Qiao honestly replied, “I do, but my father has already named my elder brother as heir.”
“No worries, I can ennoble you now. How about the title ‘Bi’ (逼, meaning ‘forceful’)?”
Zhao Qiao’s eyes widened, filled with excitement, “Emperor, are you serious?”
“A monarch does not jest,” Zhao Qi laughed, “From now on, you are the Bi Lord of Great Jing.”
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