Chapter 80 – I’m in love with him.
Zhao Qi slept very soundly, and Mengmeng was considerate, not causing any disturbance in his belly. He slept until dawn for the first time in a long while.
When he woke up, Zhao Qi found himself lying in Xiao Shiqing’s arms, his forehead against Xiao Shiqing’s chin. It was an extremely intimate position, making his heart flutter with excitement early in the morning.
Speaking of which, Zhao Qi had slept with Xiao Shiqing before, but back then, he hadn’t realized the difference. To him, sleeping with Xiao Shiqing was no different from sleeping with anyone else, but now…
Zhao Qi lifted his eyes and carefully observed the lines of Xiao Shiqing’s jaw, his straight nose, and his stern eyebrows and eyes. The sight made his heart flutter so much that it felt like a fawn not only running wild but also calling out loudly.
A deep voice came from above: “Am I not handsome?”
Asking such a question was quite shameless, but Zhao Qi decided to give him a face-saving reply, “Handsome—among all the officials and scholars in the court, and all the beauties under heaven, none can compare to the grace of the Prime Minister.”
Xiao Shiqing smiled with his eyes closed, pretending to be modest: “Your Majesty’s praise is too much.”
Zhao Qi lay in Xiao Shiqing’s arms for a while and asked, “Have you finished reviewing the memorials?”
“Mm.”
The piles of memorials were like small mountains, and even Xiao Shiqing would need at least a night to review them. It seemed Xiao Shiqing barely slept last night; after finishing the memorials, he went straight to the dragon bed, which was quite informal.
“Keep sleeping,” Zhao Qi said, “I’ll go greet the Empress Dowager and have breakfast with her.”
Xiao Shiqing opened his eyes, his deep-set gaze even more enchanting, and said, “The fact that I came to Xuchun Garden must not be known to the Empress Dowager.”
Zhao Qi stood up and replied, “Does my brother think I’m a fool? When will you return to the Prime Minister’s residence?”
Xiao Shiqing curved his lips slightly in satisfaction. “I won’t be going back.”
“Huh?”
“Does Your Majesty wish to keep a lover in a golden house?”
Zhao Qi turned his head to look at him. Xiao Shiqing was lying on the bed, his long hair spread out, his figure graceful and languid but still dignified, giving him a very “official wife” appearance. If it weren’t for Zhao Qi’s own big belly, he might have really felt like he had favored Xiao Huanghou last night.
“Then you’d better keep it well hidden, and make sure no one finds out,” Zhao Qi instructed.
Xiao Shiqing nodded lightly. “Alright. When you see the Empress Dowager, first apologize, then delegate power. Remember?”
Zhao Qi was a bit worried. “Do we really need to proactively stir up factional strife? What if we end up playing with fire and get burned?”
“It won’t happen,” Xiao Shiqing said, “I never fail.”
As Xiao Jinzi and Jiang Dehai came in to assist Zhao Qi with washing up and dressing, they saw an additional person in the bed and cautiously asked, “Your Majesty, who is the person inside?”
Zhao Qi put on a cloak to cover his belly and said, “It’s Xiao Huanghou.”
The two exchanged frightened glances, their faces blurring with fear.
When they arrived at Empress Dowager Wen’s residence, she still gave Zhao Qi a cold reception. Zhao Qi, following Xiao Shiqing’s instructions, offered various sincere apologies and expressed that managing state affairs while pregnant was truly exhausting, hoping to invite his maternal grandfather, Duke Wen, out of retirement to oversee the cabinet.
“Mother, these are the four sets sent by Xiao Shiqing,” Zhao Qi said. “He is currently unwell and cannot leave, so I can only rely on you and grandfather.”
The Empress Dowager’s expression softened slightly but she was still displeased. She sneered, “The Wen family is an external family, and cannot bear the reliance of Your Majesty!”
Zhao Qi lowered his head submissively. “Mother’s family, my maternal family, how can it be considered external?”
“Oh? That’s not what you said yesterday.”
“Mother, I am still pregnant and my emotions are unstable. I often speak without thinking, so please don’t hold it against me.”
The Empress Dowager furrowed her brows, a trace of concern mingled with her cold tone. “Is the emotional instability serious?”
Zhao Qi exaggerated intentionally. “Very serious. Every night, tears have soaked my pillow… Besides this, I had severe morning sickness in the first few months. Whatever I ate, I vomited. Others who are pregnant look glowing and plump, but I, unfortunately, am getting thinner day by day. It’s so pitiful.”
Since it was her own son, the Empress Dowager felt genuine sympathy. The sympathy made her forget her anger. “I also had severe morning sickness when I was pregnant with you. I couldn’t eat any meat or fat; I craved sour foods. Your father had to have people pick citrus from Huainan daily and rush it to the capital…”
At this point, the mother and son’s conversation changed from a discussion to a lecture on pregnancy knowledge. The Empress Dowager imparted her experiences of pregnancy and childbirth to her son without reservation, while Zhao Qi listened attentively, smiling with embarrassment.
Afterwards, Zhao Qi and the Empress Dowager reconciled, and she no longer mentioned the matter of choosing a consort. Zhao Qi led a quiet life in Xuchun Garden, nurturing the baby and keeping his lover in a golden house. Meanwhile, the court was embroiled in turmoil.
Although Xiao Shiqing’s dismissal had not been officially announced, it was already causing a stir in the court. Duke Wen took his place, becoming the head of the cabinet, promoting his own trusted officials and demoting Xiao Shiqing’s faction. In no time, the entire court was in a state of panic, with everyone on edge.
However, the Xiao family was not to be underestimated. Even without Xiao Shiqing, many key positions in the court were held by Xiao family confidants, including several talented individuals. Initially, they endured in silence, observing the situation, but the Wen family’s overreach forced them to resist. The Xiao family presented all the evidence they had secretly collected over the years about the Wen family’s bribery, corruption, and favoritism, along with the memorials from the Censorate, one by one.
The Wen family, being the maternal family of the Empress Dowager, had long been a counterbalance to the Xiao family. Both families had their own dirt on each other, maintaining a balance of power. Now that the balance was broken, neither side would yield, and they were determined to fight to the end.
One scandal after another was exposed, making Zhao Qi feel a chill all over. Corruption and bribery were nothing compared to the dark deeds of assassination of political enemies, poisoning court officials, and even treason…
Seeing half of it, Xiao Shiqing took the memorial from Zhao Qi’s hands. “Stop looking.”
Zhao Qi’s face was pale. “It’s terrifying, even more so than the historical tales in novels.”
These dirty affairs were all within Xiao Shiqing’s expectations. Purging the officialdom inevitably led to chaos in the court. Since the time was not ripe before, he had held back. Now, with the southern flood resolved and the northern war not yet erupted, it was the perfect time for him to take action, and also to protect the Empress’s position.
“Chaos follows disorder, and order follows chaos,” Xiao Shiqing said. “It won’t be long before the Xiao and Wen families are both defeated, and the people who need to be dealt with will disappear from the court.”
Zhao Qi nodded. “I hope so. Brother, with dozens of cases involving the Xiao and Wen families to investigate, who do you think would be best to handle them?”
Xiao Shiqing had already considered this for Zhao Qi. “Xu Qiu.”
Xu Qiu was the top scholar Zhao Qi had reinstated from the discarded list. He was loyal to Zhao Qi, upright and straightforward, not afraid of authority, and never involved in factional disputes.
Zhao Qi asked, “Isn’t his experience too shallow?”
“Experience is built through practice,” came the reply.
“Alright, I’ll listen to you.”
“Let’s end the discussion about state affairs here,” Xiao Shiqing said, “No more debates on this topic.”
Zhao Qi blinked, “Where have you ever seen a minister advising his sovereign to be less diligent?”
“You can be diligent after the baby is born,” Xiao Shiqing glanced out the window, “The moonlight is just right. Shall I accompany you to enjoy the moon?”
Zhao Qi smiled, “Sure.”
Zhao Qi was over eight months pregnant, and his due date was approaching. His belly was so large that he couldn’t see his feet when he looked down, making him worry about giving birth to a burly little princess. Xiao Shiqing helped him to the courtyard, where the soft moonlight poured down like flowing water. It was mid-winter, and the snow from yesterday had yet to melt. The courtyard was bright enough to see clearly without needing a lantern.
“Sit down. I’ll have someone bring some snacks,” Xiao Shiqing said.
Zhao Qi shook his head, “I’ve been lying or sitting all day, and my backside is getting flat. I want to walk around.”
Xiao Shiqing adjusted his fox fur coat, “Alright.”
The two of them didn’t walk far; they just wandered around the courtyard. Under the moonlight on this snowy night, Zhao Qi temporarily set aside his troublesome state affairs and took a moment to think about his personal matters.
What exactly is the relationship between him and Xiao Shiqing?
They were together all day, and Xiao Shiqing also accompanied him at night, but it was only to sleep together, with nothing else happening. It was hard for him to believe that, with the baby about to be born, they still hadn’t formally confirmed their relationship.
Xiao Shiqing probably felt there was no need to confirm it—they were already sharing a bed, so what else could it be? But Zhao Qi had a very “traditional” view on relationships; unless there was a proper confession, he didn’t consider them truly together.
Xiao Shiqing had seemed to express his feelings for him before, but at that time, Zhao Qi had been too sensitive and suspicious, dismissing Xiao Shiqing’s confession. After that, Xiao Shiqing didn’t mention his feelings again, leaving Zhao Qi without a chance to respond.
Zhao Qi’s distracted thoughts didn’t escape Xiao Shiqing’s notice. “What are you thinking about?”
…Thinking about when you’ll confess again. Zhao Qi glanced at Xiao Shiqing’s hand resting on his arm, cleared his throat, and said, a bit shyly, “Brother, let’s hold hands.”
Xiao Shiqing’s lips curled up, “How should we hold hands? Teach me, Your Majesty.”
“Just… hold hands,” Zhao Qi’s cheeks turned red, whether from the cold or embarrassment, “The kind where our fingers intertwine.”
Xiao Shiqing’s long fingers clasped Zhao Qi’s fingertips, “Like this?”
Zhao Qi, feeling embarrassed, nodded, “…Yes.”
“I’ve learned.”
They continued their walk, but with a new posture. The atmosphere was now completely different from before. Earlier, it was the father supporting the child’s other father, and now it was a husband holding his wife’s hand.
Zhao Qi hazily wondered what the next step after holding hands would be… a hug? A kiss? Going to bed?
Xiao Shiqing walked ahead by half a step and, for some reason, suddenly stopped.
Zhao Qi asked, “What’s wrong?”
Xiao Shiqing slightly turned his face, which was also quite handsome. He pointed to his heart, “It’s beating a bit fast here.”
Zhao Qi froze, his heart racing uncontrollably.
“I need to calm down.”
“You, you should stop!” Zhao Qi stammered, “The Prime Minister has seen all sorts of situations. How can holding hands make your heart race?”
Say it! Hurry up and say it!
Xiao Shiqing leaned down and kissed Zhao Qi’s forehead, “I like you too.”
Zhao Qi: “…” Too?
Xiao Shiqing’s voice was low, almost sighing, “I’ve got you.”
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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