Chapter 54 – I am pregnant with your child.
Xiao Shiqing brought Zhao Qi back to the palace. Cheng Boyan had been waiting since early morning. After checking Zhao Qi’s pulse, he let out a sigh of relief and said, “Report to the Prime Minister, the Emperor has only been given some sleeping drug…”
Xiao Shiqing raised an eyebrow, “Only?”
Cheng Boyan choked and quickly knelt down, “This humble servant misspoke. Such sleeping drugs will make a person feel weak, drowsy, and lethargic, but they are harmless. Once the drug wears off, the Emperor will wake up.”
Xiao Shiqing’s expression eased slightly, “Leave.”
“Esteemed Prime Minister, I take my leave.”
Xiao Shiqing suddenly remembered something and said, “Wait.”
Cheng Boyan asked, “Does the Prime Minister have any further instructions?”
“Do you know what a ‘dragon egg’ is?”
Cheng Boyan felt a shiver down his spine. The Emperor had strictly forbidden any disclosure about the dragon egg. Defying the Emperor was punishable by death, but the consequences of being caught lying to Prime Minister Xiao would be a thousand times worse than death.
In a critical moment, Cheng Boyan decisively made a choice, “This official… does not know.” He lowered his gaze, his fingers nervously fidgeting under Xiao Shiqing’s scrutinizing stare.
“Is that so?” Xiao Shiqing shifted his gaze to Zhao Qi, who was soundly asleep on the bed, “You may go.”
Cheng Boyan felt as if he had escaped from a disaster, “Yes, sir.”
Zhao Qi slept from daytime into the night, and it was his empty stomach that finally woke him up.
His mind was still hazy. He opened one eye and found himself lying in a strange bed, his panic blurring his vision—no way, not again?!
“Awake?”
The man’s voice was soft and low, causing Zhao Qi’s racing heart to settle back down.
That’s right, he had been taken away by Xiao Shiqing from Rong Tang, and he was safe now, no longer in danger.
“Prime Minister Brother.”
Xiao Shiqing stood by the bed, looking down at him from a height, “Hmm?”
The sky outside was pitch black, with not even the moon visible. The candlelight inside cast a soft glow, and in the dim light, Xiao Shiqing’s face seemed to be shrouded in mist. Just standing there, doing nothing, he radiated an unparalleled brilliance and unmatched handsomeness.
Zhao Qi had always known that Xiao Shiqing’s looks could outshine most people, but for some reason, today he seemed even more radiant, like a dazzling diamond, shining brilliantly and making one dizzy with its beauty.
A diamond, also known as a diamond stone, is the hardest substance in the world; besides itself, no one can cut it. Touching it forcibly would only result in being cut by its sharp edges.
Wow, this metaphor is divine, only a brain as clever as his could come up with it.
Zhao Qi lost himself in these random thoughts and said nothing. Xiao Shiqing showed a hint of concern, “Have you gone blank again?”
Zhao Qi muttered to himself, “Look who’s gone blank.”
Thinking of beautiful things, Zhao Qi naturally thought of Rong Tang and asked, “Brother, how is Rong Tang? You didn’t kill him, did you?”
Xiao Shiqing’s voice turned slightly cold, “The first thing you ask upon waking is about him. How much do you care about him?”
Zhao Qi said, “That’s not right, wasn’t my first words ‘Prime Minister Brother’?”
Xiao Shiqing: “…Killed him.”
Zhao Qi sat up suddenly, “What?!”
Xiao Shiqing pressed his shoulders back down, “Don’t worry, he’s perfectly fine.”
Zhao Qi breathed a sigh of relief and complained, “You scared me to death.”
Xiao Shiqing whispered, “You scared me to death too.”
“Really?” Zhao Qi questioned, “Is there really something in this world that can scare Prime Minister Brother?”
Xiao Shiqing replied half-seriously, “Yes, it nearly stopped my heart.”
Zhao Qi thought Xiao Shiqing was just being polite and played along with a grin, “Then let me experience it?”
“Sure.” Xiao Shiqing took Zhao Qi’s hand and placed it on his chest, casually saying, “How is it?”
Zhao Qi spoke truthfully, “Your heart, brother, beats very steadily. It must be able to live to a ripe old age.”
“……”
“Wait a moment, it seems to be beating faster and faster…”
Xiao Shiqing calmly removed Zhao Qi’s hand and casually asked, “What did Rong Tang do to you?”
“Huh? Didn’t you see? He didn’t do anything.”
“Before I arrived,” Xiao Shiqing’s gaze fell on Zhao Qi’s lips, “Did he hug you, or… kiss you?”
Talking about such things between two grown men felt awkward, and Zhao Qi hesitated, “No… no.”
“Really?”
“Yeah…” Zhao Qi mumbled, “I avoided it.”
Xiao Shiqing smiled, “Didn’t you say you were unconscious for two hours? How can you be sure that he didn’t touch you during that time?”
Zhao Qi braced himself and said, “If he did, I would definitely have felt something when I woke up.”
Xiao Shiqing chuckled lightly, “When you’re not conscious, whatever is done to you, you will forget completely by the next day.”
“Brother,” Zhao Qi said helplessly, “Can we change the subject?”
“No.”
“Then what do you want to do?”
Xiao Shiqing looked at him steadily, “How about… letting me help the emperor with a check-up?”
… If you want to check, then just check. Why the sudden change in address? So strange and awkward.
So Zhao Qi also changed his address, “How does the Prime Minister want to check?”
Xiao Shiqing raised the corners of his mouth, “From head to toe, inside and out.”
Zhao Qi: “??? ”
The “from head to toe” was understandable, but “inside and out” was… intriguing.
Xiao Shiqing asked, “Do you want it, Your Majesty?”
Zhao Qi’s face inexplicably turned red, “N-no, it’s fine, Prime Minister. By the way, how are Jiang Dehai and the guards?”
Xiao Shiqing replied, “They’re not dead.”
“Oh… Brother, I’m hungry.”
Hearing the little emperor request food, Xiao Shiqing temporarily set aside the matter of the dragon’s body check-up and asked, “What do you want to eat?”
Zhao Qi thought carefully, “I want noodles. Add green onions and eggs, but no meat.” Recently, just the smell of meat made him want to vomit.
“What eggs?” Xiao Shiqing asked naturally, “Dragon eggs?”
“……!!!”
What the heck! How would Xiao Shiqing know about dragon eggs?! Did he accidentally reveal something?
Xiao Shiqing noticed Zhao Qi’s reaction and said meaningfully, “Did I guess right?”
Stay calm, you must stay calm! If Xiao Shiqing knew he was pregnant, he definitely wouldn’t be so calm now. He might be probing.
Zhao Qi’s intelligence suddenly kicked in, and he tried hard to look confused, “Dragon eggs? What is that? Can you eat it?”
Xiao Shiqing looked at him for a moment and said, “It’s nothing.”
The kitchen prepared a bowl of plain noodles according to Zhao Qi’s request. The broth was clear and flavorful, light and refreshing, and the aroma of scallion oil was irresistible. For Zhao Qi, who lived on plain congee and pickles, it was simply a heavenly taste.
Zhao Qi rarely had such an appetite and was deeply moved, almost to the point of tears.
Xiao Shiqing sat beside him, watching him eat with a subtle expression, “Have you not eaten for three days?”
Zhao Qi smiled embarrassedly, “Well, I was hungry.”
In the end, Zhao Qi drank up all the soup and lay contentedly on the bed. Xiao Shiqing sat on the couch, dealing with the piled-up urgent documents.
Before leaving the capital, Xiao Shiqing had made proper arrangements for the key ministers to handle state affairs. Matters that were sent to him either concerned major issues or were exceptionally troublesome. Without Xiao Shiqing’s orders, the cabinet dared not make decisions.
Zhao Qi burped, “What time is it?”
Xiao Shiqing didn’t look up, “There’s still an hour until dawn.”
“It’s already this late,” Zhao Qi said, “Then didn’t brother go a whole day and night without rest?”
“Hmm.”
“Brother, stop reading and go to sleep.”
Xiao Shiqing said, “Will you help me read these memorials?”
Zhao Qi, having just survived a “great disaster,” now only wanted to lie down and be a salted fish, “I suddenly feel a bit dizzy, I just want to lie down… I’ll lie down some more…”
Such clumsy acting could not fool Xiao Shiqing, “Come here, there’s an urgent memorial you should read.”
Zhao Qi got out of bed and walked over, “What’s the matter?”
Xiao Shiqing held up an open memorial, “Come and take a look.”
Zhao Qi stood there, confused, “Uh… or maybe you could just give the memorial to me?”
Xiao Shiqing remained unmoved and smiled, “Isn’t it better for the emperor and I to look at it together?”
Look together… how do you look at it together?
Zhao Qi thought for a moment and walked to stand behind Xiao Shiqing. However, the light wasn’t very good, and from a distance, he couldn’t see the characters clearly. “Brother, could you bring the memorial a bit closer?”
Xiao Shiqing remained calm, “Your Majesty, come a bit closer?”
Zhao Qi simply lay on Xiao Shiqing’s back, resting his chin on his shoulder, and squinted to finally see the text clearly.
After reading the memorial, Zhao Qi felt very guilty and awkwardly said, “Brother…”
Xiao Shiqing looked at him with a faint smile, “After the Xixia troops withdrew, I ordered He Changzhou to lead the Western County troops back to Western County on standby. However, He Changzhou received a secret order and hurriedly left Xizhou, traveling smoothly to Cangzhou. Does the emperor have anything to say about this?”
The evidence was so clear, it was hard for Zhao Qi to deny, “It was I who asked him to come find me.”
Xiao Shiqing suppressed his anger and maintained a gentle tone, “Why?”
Zhao Qi quickly made up a reason, “Because I was afraid of dying and wanted him to come back to protect me.”
Xiao Shiqing sneered, “Aren’t there enough people around you usually?”
“Yes,” Zhao Qi said seriously, “Otherwise, how would I have ended up locked in a small dark room by Rong Tang?”
Xiao Shiqing paused for a moment and asked, “Is that all?”
Zhao Qi nodded, “Yes.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me directly and issued a secret order instead?”
“Would you have agreed if I had told you directly?”
“……No.”
Zhao Qi spread out his hands, “Well, that settles it.”
Xiao Shiqing revealed a meaningful smile, “Understood. Your Majesty, please rest.”
Zhao Qi quietly let out a sigh of relief, “And what about you, brother?”
Xiao Shiqing replied, “I still have matters to attend to.”
“Are you leaving then?”
“I’ll leave after you’ve fallen asleep.”
After Zhao Qi had fallen asleep, Xiao Shiqing exited the inner room and called softly, “Fu Zi.”
The shadow guard hidden in the dark immediately appeared, “Prime Minister.”
Xiao Shiqing said, “I want to know what the Emperor has been saying and doing recently.”
Fu Zi asked, “Do you mean to have the withdrawn spies return to the Emperor’s side?”
“No need.” Although he did want to do that, he had personally promised the little emperor that he wouldn’t have anyone monitoring his every move again. “I need you to investigate someone.”
“Who?”
“Cheng Boyan.”
“The physician beside the Emperor?”
Xiao Shiqing nodded slightly, “The Emperor is touring the south and has left many experienced old physicians behind, yet he personally requested Cheng Boyan to accompany him and serve him closely. Don’t you find that odd?”
Fu Zi said, “I understand.”
Perhaps due to the conversation about He Changzhou, Zhao Qi dreamt of He Changzhou smiling at him in his sleep.
Zhao Qi was angry that He Changzhou had made him pregnant with a dragon egg. He raised his hand to shoo away that face, but it only came closer, while He Changzhou shouted loudly, “Your Majesty!”
Zhao Qi opened his eyes in shock to find a travel-worn youth sitting by his bed, with a handsome face and a smile at the corner of his mouth, “I’m back.”
… Damn, it really is He Changzhou!
He Changzhou buried his face in Zhao Qi’s abdomen, like a spoiled large dog, “Does Your Majesty miss me? Ugh, I’m so tired. I haven’t had a full night’s sleep for days just to come see Your Majesty as soon as possible. Could you make some room for me so I can nap with you?”
Zhao Qi gradually woke up and looked at He Changzhou’s oblivious face, feeling an intense anger. Just as he was about to yell at him, he noticed the bruise under his eyes.
… Fine, I’ll deal with you after you’re well-rested.
“Sleep then,” Zhao Qi said, “I’ve slept enough.”
He Changzhou yawned, “Didn’t Your Majesty say you had something very important to tell me—what is it?”
Zhao Qi put on a sour face, “No rush. I’ll tell you after you wake up.”
“Okay, I’ll just sleep for an hour. Wake me up in an hour, Your Majesty.” He Changzhou was truly exhausted, and he fell asleep as soon as he lay down.
Zhao Qi quietly got off the bed and let him have the whole bed.
When He Changzhou woke up again, it was already two hours later. Zhao Qi hadn’t woken him, letting him sleep until he woke up naturally. Youthful energy meant He Changzhou was nearly fully restored after half a day of sleep.
He Changzhou called out, “Your Majesty?”
Jiang Dehai walked in, “The General is awake.”
He Changzhou asked, “Where is His Majesty?”
Jiang Dehai said, “His Majesty is in the courtyard, grilling meat for the General.”
He Changzhou sniffed the air and indeed smelled the aroma of grilled meat. He washed his face and went to the courtyard, where he saw Zhao Qi reclining on a lounge chair, directing a young attendant to turn the rabbit on the grill.
He Changzhou walked over and smiled, “Your Majesty.”
Zhao Qi lazily responded, “You’re awake.”
“Eunuch Jiang said Your Majesty was helping me grill meat. I thought you would do it yourself.”
Zhao Qi said grumpily, “Thanks to you, I now feel nauseous at the sight of meat.”
“Ah?” He Changzhou was puzzled, “Why?”
Zhao Qi looked around to make sure no one was nearby and gestured for He Changzhou to come closer.
He Changzhou leaned in, putting his ear close to Zhao Qi’s mouth.
Zhao Qi whispered as quietly as possible, “I… am pregnant.”
He Changzhou looked confused, “Huh?”
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
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