Chapter 43 – I take it as my duty not to change my mind.
Rong Tang’s complexion had indeed improved significantly, with color returning to his lips and his cheeks no longer sunken and gray as before. Zhao Qi was genuinely happy for him, his smile unconsciously spreading as he said, “I came to the harem for a stroll and thought I’d drop by to see you.”
Rong Tang asked, “Who else did you drop by to see?”
Zhao Qi sat opposite him and said, “No one else. I came to catch a thief.”
Rong Tang raised an eyebrow, “A thief?”
Now Zhao Qi was certain that He Changzhou was a scoundrel, which naturally ruled out Rong Tang as a suspect. He continued, confident that the dignified Rong Tang wouldn’t engage in lewd talk like “spreading legs” or “flowing like water” in bed.
Since Rong Tang was no longer a suspect, and Zhao Qi was at ease, he had Jiang Dehai recount the theft of medicines from the Yonghua Palace to Rong Tang in detail.
“Under orders, we searched every palace and corner, but the stolen Changxisi medicine was nowhere to be found,” Jiang Dehai reported. “Considering the medicine’s effects, His Majesty suspects the thief might be a beauty in the harem, willing to do anything for favor.”
Rong Tang pondered for a moment and asked, “Have all places been thoroughly searched?”
“Yes, except for the Cian Palace. We’ve practically turned the entire imperial palace upside down,” Jiang Dehai replied.
Rong Tang inquired further, “Have there been body searches?”
Jiang Dehai nodded firmly, “Yes.”
“And what about the searchers themselves?” Rong Tang pressed.
Jiang Dehai hesitated, “Well…”
Zhao Qi suddenly realized, “Are you saying someone is stealing from under their own guard?”
Rong Tang nodded slightly, “It’s a possibility.”
“Damn it!” Zhao Qi slammed the table hard. In his anger, he hit the corner of the table with his hand, causing a sharp pain that made him yelp and scrunch up his face in pain.
Jiang Dehai panicked, “Is Your Majesty’s dragon claw alright?”
Zhao Qi grimaced, “I’m… fine.” Other emperors could shake the Nine Provinces with their wrath, but here he was, unable to even handle a table properly. It seemed he couldn’t follow the path of dignity.
Rong Tang reached out, “Let me see.”
Without hesitation, Zhao Qi placed his hand in Rong Tang’s palm. Rong Tang’s hand was as immaculate as he was, cool to the touch, untouched by the world.
He gently massaged Zhao Qi’s hand back, asking, “Does it hurt?”
Zhao Qi shook his head, “Not anymore.”
Just then, Jin Ning brought tea. Rong Tang instructed, “Bring some medicine.”
Jiang Dehai asked, “Master Rong, you have medicine here?”
Rong Tang replied calmly, “I’ve become quite the doctor. There’s less medicine in Zuishuzhai than in the imperial hospital.”
While waiting for the medicine, Zhao Qi tried to withdraw his hand. But as soon as he moved, Rong Tang said, “Don’t move.”
“Oh…” Zhao Qi curled his fingers, unsure where to place his hand. He couldn’t help but think it was awkward, two grown men holding hands like this.
Jin Ning brought the medicinal oil. Rong Tang poured it into his hand and gently rubbed it into Zhao Qi’s bruise. The scent of the oil filled the room, and the pain made Zhao Qi wrinkle his nose, “Gently… please.”
Rong Tang persisted, “If the bruise isn’t treated now, it’ll hurt even more tomorrow.”
Zhao Qi couldn’t help but hiss in pain. Rong Tang looked up at him and asked, “Would you like something sweet?”
“Huh?” Zhao Qi licked his lips, “Sure, do you have something sweet?”
Without warning, Rong Tang’s face leaned closer, his lips soft and carrying a hint of medicinal fragrance.
Zhao Qi was stunned, eyes wide like copper bells, shooting out a lightning bolt… of panic.
Jiang Dehai reacted swiftly, covering his eyes and turning away, silently praying: Lord Prime Minister, I didn’t see anything!
Rong Tang’s kiss was brief, like a dragonfly touching the water’s surface, yet it left Zhao Qi utterly flustered.
Though Rong Tang had kissed him that drunken night before, even biting his lip, Zhao Qi remembered nothing of it. Now, Rong Tang had kissed him while he was sober—effectively taking his first kiss.
He, Zhao Qi, a straight-laced man who prided himself on being unyielding, could overlook drunken escapades and bed-sharing with good friends. But losing his first kiss to another man? How could he, a straight-laced man, face his comrades?
No—he couldn’t accept it! A mere brush of lips didn’t count as a first kiss; it had to involve tongues!
Zhao Qi’s expression froze like a statue, while inside, turmoil raged like a stampede of horses. Meanwhile, the culprit behind this chaos continued to apply the medicine, and finally remarked, “Your hand is sweating.”
Zhao Qi snapped out of his daze, swiftly pulling his hand away. “It’s the weather, too hot!”
Rong Tang smiled faintly, “Hmm.”
There was only one meaning to a kiss on the lips. Today, they were both sober, with no alcohol or medicine involved, yet Rong Tang had kissed him. Zhao Qi found it hard to continue being naive.
He didn’t have Rong Tang’s knack for subtlety. “Rong Tang, I…” Zhao Qi began.
Rong Tang silently watched him, his eyes reflecting Zhao Qi’s image.
Suddenly, Zhao Qi couldn’t find the words to continue. He paused, opting for a more indirect approach, “I’ve been indulging in wine and women, neglecting state affairs, and doing many foolish things, especially to you. So now that I’ve awakened, the person I most want to make amends to is you.”
“Hmm.”
”I still mean what I said. I’ll do my best to satisfy your wishes. You can leave the palace anytime you want. If you wish to go home, I’ll find time to accompany you. If you prefer to stay in the capital and serve, any official position I can influence is yours to choose.” Zhao Qi stared at his hands, his voice growing softer. “But none of this has to do with romance. It’s all because of… my guilt towards you.”
Zhao Qi believed he had made his rejection clear. Surely someone as smart as Rong Tang would understand. He braced himself for Rong Tang’s anger, but instead, Rong Tang merely asked, “Is Your Majesty finished?”
Rong Tang’s tone remained calm, without a ripple of emotion. Could it be that he had misunderstood things? Did Rong Tang not have those feelings for him? That would actually be a relief.
Zhao Qi nodded hesitantly. “Yes, I’m finished.”
Rong Tang continued, “Those involved are often confused, while bystanders see clearly. Sometimes, the one who can’t see your intentions clearly is yourself.”
Confused, Zhao Qi said, “No, I’m quite sure I don’t have those feelings for you.”
There was a hint of chill in Rong Tang’s eyes. Zhao Qi’s words had stirred up a storm of emotions in him, heavy and oppressive.
Only now did Zhao Qi realize how blunt he had been. Feeling uneasy, he asked, “Rong Tang?”
Rong Tang closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, his expression had cleared considerably. “Back then, you called my name.”
Now even more bewildered, Zhao Qi asked, “When was that?”
”So I don’t believe what you’re saying now.”
”What??? Is there a place to recharge IQ? I need a hundred thousand units!”
Suddenly, Rong Tang gripped Zhao Qi’s wrist. “It took me a long time to understand my own feelings. How much longer do you think it would take for yours?”
The oddness of this statement puzzled Zhao Qi. “All I want is to be alone…”
Rong Tang pressed a finger to Zhao Qi’s lips to silence him, while his other hand slipped between Zhao Qi’s fingers, their hands intertwining. “I told you, I’ll wait for you,” Rong Tang said. “Hopefully, I won’t have to wait too long.”
Zhao Qi could only smile wryly. In just a few days, he had rejected two people—one who didn’t believe he was straight, and one who didn’t believe he didn’t like him. What a mess this was.
”Alright,” Zhao Qi gave up struggling. “I have state affairs to attend to. I should head back.” Being emperor had its perks; when you wanted to leave, you could always use the universal excuse of “urgent state matters” and no one could stop you.
Rong Tang let go of his hand. “Hmm.”
As Zhao Qi reached the door, something occurred to him. He turned back and asked, “Rong Tang, has anyone from the Ministry of Justice approached you?”
Rong Tang replied, “No. However, Prime Minister Xiao personally came to see me.”
”Regarding the Crown Prince of Western Xia, right?”
”That’s part of it.”
Curious, Zhao Qi asked, “What’s the other part?”
Rong Tang simply said, “It’s better if Your Majesty doesn’t know.”
Realizing further inquiry was futile, Zhao Qi said, “What about the Crown Prince of Western Xia…”
”On the day of the palace banquet, Prince Huai did request two cups of sobering tea from a palace maid,” Rong Tang answered without being asked, “and he drank one of them.”
”You drank the other one?”
Rong Tang shook his head. “That day, I only took a few sips and did not finish the tea.”
Something clicked in Zhao Qi’s mind. “Then where did the remaining cup go?”
”For that, you’ll have to ask the supervisor of tea affairs.”
Leaving the Library of Drunken Books, Zhao Qi was in a bad mood, staring at his feet without paying attention, nearly running into a tree until Jiang Dehai spoke up: “Your Majesty, be careful!”
Zhao Qi halted, sighed, and asked, “Lao Jiang, why do you think Rong Tang doesn’t believe that I don’t like him?”
Jiang Dehai replied, “Your Majesty has cherished Master Rong for so long. Now that you say you don’t like him, no one, not even Lao Nu, believes it.”
Zhao Qi pinched Jiang Dehai fiercely, “The tears shed today are all because of the stubbornness of the past.”
”Your Majesty, forgive me for speaking bluntly, but if Master Rong truly likes Your Majesty, why push him away?”
Zhao Qi pinched another strand of Jiang Dehai’s hair, “Who said I want to start a harem? In the future, I only want one empress.”
Jiang Dehai covered his head, “Even if Your Majesty wants to be with one person for a lifetime, the Empress Dowager will not agree.”
”Let’s discuss this later. The immediate task is to cut the tangle quickly and make Master Rong give up on me as soon as possible.”
Jiang Dehai didn’t understand, “Why, Your Majesty?”
Zhao Qi pinched Jiang Dehai’s hair again, “I can’t keep him hanging, delaying his search for true love.”
”But, Your Majesty, Master Rong is still ill. He’s finally showing signs of improvement. If Your Majesty hurts his heart again…”
The more Zhao Qi thought about it, the more he felt a headache coming on. “Ah, the spring wind of the broken sleeve is blowing all over the place. Forget it, let’s not talk about this. What about the Prime Minister?”
”At this hour, the Prime Minister should be in the Diligent Government Hall.”
Zhao Qi went directly to the Diligent Government Hall, intending to discuss the case of the Crown Prince of Western Xia with Xiao Shiqing.
The palace attendant guarding outside was about to announce him when Zhao Qi stopped him and asked, “Who’s inside?”
”Your Majesty, Prime Minister and General He are discussing matters.”
”Just the two of them?”
”Yes.”
Zhao Qi found it strange that Xiao Shiqing and He Changzhou were discussing matters alone. Could it be about going to war with Western Xia? Why wasn’t he summoned then, especially when he still had half of the tiger tally in his hand!
Entering the hall, Zhao Qi saw Xiao Shiqing seated in his usual place, a faint smile playing on his lips. He Changzhou stood leaning against a pillar, holding a sword, his back to Zhao Qi, so Zhao Qi couldn’t see his expression.
Just as Zhao Qi was about to speak, he heard He Changzhou say, “Initially, Prime Minister suspected Your Majesty harbored ambitions and ordered me to approach you deliberately, to test the waters. Does Prime Minister still remember this?”
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~
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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
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