Chapter 25 – I was badly cheated, very badly.
Zhao Qi was extremely excited; if he hadn’t remembered that he was eavesdropping, he would have shouted out loud.
In the original story, Rong Tang had no hesitation in agreeing to help Zhao Tong with his major plans, and promised to spare no effort in assisting him. But now, Rong Tang said he was willing to become Zhao Tong’s prisoner. The contrast was stark and painful.
The shock Zhao Tong felt seemed to far exceed Zhao Qi’s. “W-What did you say?”
“I said, if you intend to use this method to rescue me, I’d rather stay in the palace.”
“Why?!” After the initial shock, Zhao Tong was filled with disappointment and heartbreak from feeling betrayed. Rong Tang was his close friend, who knew exactly how he had barely survived the humiliation and scorn from Empress Dowager Wen and Zhao Qi. He believed Rong Tang’s hatred for Zhao Qi was no less than his own. A year ago, just before leaving the capital, he had a meeting with Rong Tang. At that time, Rong Tang had spoken with great anger, expressing his wish to tear Zhao Qi apart and drink his blood. How had things changed in just a year, that Rong Tang was now protecting that despicable emperor?
Zhao Tong had always had the demeanor of a refined gentleman, making people feel as if they owed him something when he questioned them. Yet there was no trace of guilt in Rong Tang’s tone. “The Great Jing Dynasty has lasted for less than a century and is now at a period of recuperation. If war were to break out again, it would be detrimental to both the country and the people.”
Zhao Tong countered, “Look at the current state of Great Jing! The court is in chaos, the administration is corrupt, the emperor is foolish, and the imperial relatives hold power. Prime Minister Xiao controls the court, and his faction is numerous. If this continues, before the Zhao family can act, others will already be plotting.”
Rong Tang asked, “Who are these other people you speak of?”
“The Prime Minister Xiao in the capital, and the non-royal princes in the southwest.”
“If Xiao Shiqing wanted to seize power, he would have done so by now,” Rong Tang said. “Though I don’t know him well, I believe that compared to sitting on the dragon throne, Xiao Shiqing enjoys manipulating things behind the scenes more. As for the Prince of Zhaonan you mentioned, he is only concerned with self-preservation. As long as the court does not strip his fief, he will not have any thoughts of rebellion.”
Zhao Qi was somewhat surprised by Rong Tang’s clear understanding of the world situation despite being confined in the palace. He truly was a top scholar who had earned his reputation through genuine talent.
Zhao Tong said, “Alright, setting aside Prime Minister Xiao and the Prince of Zhaonan, what about Zhao Qi?”
Rong Tang’s eyes flickered slightly, “He…”
“What outrageous things has he done that you’ve already forgotten?” Zhao Tong asked in a deep voice. “If not for him, how would you have ended up trapped in the harem, being used as a mere pawn? How would your family have been ridiculed in the capital and forced to return to Cangzhou?”
Rong Tang simply replied, “There’s no need to remind me. I remember.”
“You remember? And yet you still defend him?” Zhao Tong took a step closer. “You still defend him even though you remember?”
Rong Tang frowned slightly, his expression growing grim, “He is no longer the Zhao Qi of the past. He is changing.”
“Changing?” Zhao Tong laughed, “Changing the country is easy, but changing one’s nature is hard. Even if he has truly changed, can we just ignore what he did in the past?”
Rong Tang turned his head and coughed lightly.
Zhao Qi felt a pang of sympathy. Zhao Tong, can’t you just shut up for a moment? Rong Tang is getting upset again; can’t you see that? You talk way too much for a main character.
Fortunately, Zhao Tong didn’t say anything more. After a moment of silence, he said, “Rong Tang, you’ve deeply disappointed me.”
“Cough, cough…”
Zhao Tong closed his eyes. When he reopened them, his gaze had returned to its usual gentle warmth. “However, no matter what you think, you will always have a place in my heart. I won’t force you. I’ll find another way to rescue you.” Zhao Tong’s eyes were filled with emotion, “Give me a little more time.”
Zhao Qi furrowed his brows. When he read the original story, he was seeing things from the protagonist’s perspective and thought Zhao Tong was quite a decent person—good-natured, gentle, polite, and sincere with everyone. Now, stepping out of the protagonist’s perspective and recalling Zhao Tong’s gaze at Xiao Shiqing in Cian Palace, he began to think Zhao Tong seemed to have a bit of that certain type of scoundrel flavor. He was just an ordinary man who made mistakes that men commonly make. Perhaps he was not the only one in the world who could be infatuated with two people.
While Zhao Qi was lost in thought, Zhao Tong had already left. Rong Tang stood in the courtyard, occasionally coughing, and took a while before returning inside.
Zhao Qi looked at Rong Tang’s silhouette against the window and clenched his fists silently: How could he bear to let Rong Tang be a prisoner? He had to give him freedom and return him to the sea of people!
Zhao Qi left the Drunken Scholar’s Study, where Jiang Dehai had been waiting for him. As soon as Jiang Dehai saw Zhao Qi, he whispered, “Your Majesty, I just saw… saw the Prince of Huai coming out of the Drunken Scholar’s Study!”
“I know.”
Jiang Dehai was stunned, “You know and are still so calm? It’s the middle of the night, and the Prince of Huai went to see Young Master Rong. This…”
Zhao Qi sighed, “Being cuckolded is something you get used to after experiencing it once or twice. I’m already accustomed to it.”
Jiang Dehai trembled, “You’re used to it?”
“Indeed,” Zhao Qi rubbed his forehead, “Let’s go. Time to return to the palace and sleep.”
Jiang Dehai was in tears, “Your Majesty, you’ve had such a hard time!”
The two of them headed towards Yonghua Palace. Passing through the peach blossom forest, Zhao Qi suddenly had the idea of picking a few peach blossoms to give to Rong Tang, as a celebration of his release and freedom. He bet a cucumber that Rong Tang would certainly not lose his little peach blossoms now.
Jiang Dehai held the palace lantern to light the way, “Your Majesty, why don’t I help you pick them?”
“No need, I can do it myself.” Picking them personally would show more sincerity.
“It’s so dark. Your Majesty, watch your step… Oh, is that light?”
Zhao Qi looked ahead and indeed saw a faint light, with two figures vaguely visible. Zhao Qi grew nervous, “Could it be assassins again?! Protect the carriage, quickly find someone to protect it!”
Jiang Dehai smiled wryly, “Your Majesty, don’t assume everyone is an assassin. Let me check?”
Zhao Qi was too scared to stay alone, “I’ll go with you.”
Zhao Qi hid behind Jiang Dehai and approached the source of the light. He saw one figure standing under a peach blossom tree while another was crouched, digging with a hoe.
“Your Majesty,” Jiang Dehai whispered, “that person seems to be Prince Zhaonan.”
“Li Chisu?” Zhao Qi asked. “What’s he doing in the peach blossom grove so late at night?”
“Would Your Majesty like to ask him?”
Zhao Qi hesitated, worried that he might be recognized if he interacted too much with Li Chisu. But before he could decide, Li Chisu noticed him.
“Your Majesty?” Li Chisu walked toward them slowly. Under the dim light, his peach blossom eyes seemed to hold autumn water. “It really is Your Majesty.”
Hiding was no longer an option. Zhao Qi adopted a serious expression and said, “Oh, Prince Zhaonan. Didn’t I send someone to escort you out of the palace? What are you doing here?”
Li Chisu smiled. “Why don’t you guess, Your Majesty?”
Zhao Qi stroked his mustache and said, “You’re not trying to steal my peach blossoms, are you?!”
Li Chisu: “…”
“Though I have many peach blossoms, they are not for you to take.”
Li Chisu smiled slightly. “Your Majesty misunderstands. When I was young, I came to the palace with my father and hid a jar of wine under this very peach blossom tree. Today, I suddenly remembered it and wanted to retrieve it to satisfy my craving.”
“I see.” Wine and beauty were inseparable. Li Chisu loved beautiful people as well as fine wine. Zhao Qi had noticed a faint scent of wine on him last time they were forced into close contact at Chunfeng Pavilion. “Then take your time digging. I’ll be leaving.”
Li Chisu said, “Your Majesty, please stay.”
Zhao Qi looked at him warily. “Why?”
Li Chisu raised his hand and casually toyed with a peach blossom he had picked. “The moonlight tonight is so beautiful, and the peach blossoms are like rain. Why don’t you join me for some wine and moon-gazing?”
Li Chisu was indeed skilled at flirting. With the moonlight, peach blossoms, fine wine, and his handsome face, no girl or boy attracted to men could refuse him.
But unfortunately, Zhao Qi was a straight man.
Zhao Qi looked up at the bright moon in the sky and said, “The moonlight is indeed beautiful, but it’s best suited for hunting hedgehogs.”
Li Chisu asked, “What is that?”
“A very cute little creature,” Zhao Qi replied. “Unfortunately, there aren’t any around here. Otherwise, I’d be willing to hunt hedgehogs with Prince Zhaonan.”
Li Chisu chuckled lightly. “Your Majesty, are you rejecting me?”
Zhao Qi was blunt. “It’s good you understand. I’m very busy and don’t have time to drink and have fun with you.”
“You don’t have to drink,” Li Chisu stepped closer. “Just let me have a good look at Your Majesty.”
Zhao Qi took a step back, feeling a bit flustered. Why did Li Chisu want to look at him? Was he about to be unmasked?!
Zhao Qi tried to remain calm and asked, “Why should I let you see me?”
“Because admiring flowers and the moon is not as enjoyable as…” Li Chisu’s peach blossom branch, whether intentionally or not, brushed against Zhao Qi’s cheek. “Admiring a beautiful person.”
Zhao Qi finally realized he was being teased. “Impudent! How dare you think you can admire me!”
“Who else can, if not me?” Li Chisu’s eyes carried a gentle smile. “Prime Minister Xiao?”
Zhao Qi, annoyed, said, “If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll… I’ll—”
Li Chisu raised an eyebrow. “You’ll do what?”
“I’ll stop giving you military funds to support your troops!”
The speaker was casual, but the listener took it seriously. Li Chisu’s eyes darkened slightly as he smiled faintly. “I misspoke.”
“Considering you don’t understand palace rules, I’ll let it go this time,” Zhao Qi said. “If it happens again, don’t blame me for being heartless—Old Jiang, let’s go!”
Li Chisu said, “Your Majesty, please take care.” As Zhao Qi brushed past him, Li Chisu seemed to catch a whiff of a familiar scent. He hesitated, trying to catch the scent again, but it was gone.
The next day, Zhao Qi personally wrapped the peach blossoms, intending to take them to Rong Tang. However, he was stopped by Zhao Qiao, who had come to seek an audience.
“Your Majesty, I heard that Prince Zhaonan visited the palace yesterday?” Zhao Qiao asked anxiously. “Did he mention the matter of the marriage proposal?”
Speaking of which, Zhao Qi also felt troubled. “He wanted to bring it up, but I managed to block him. It was a close call this time; I don’t know if we can avoid it next time.”
Zhao Qiao sighed in relief. “There’s no rush. We’ll delay it as long as possible. Thankfully, Your Majesty is resourceful and protecting me; otherwise, I really wouldn’t know what to do.”
Zhao Qi said earnestly, “Xiao Qiao, you can’t always rely on me. We both got into this trouble, so you need to come up with some ideas yourself.”
Zhao Qiao smiled wryly. “Your Majesty, I don’t have that kind of brainpower.”
“You need to have confidence in yourself.” Zhao Qi patted his shoulder. “Xiao Qiao, you need to work hard to become stronger! In love and in battle, you must forge ahead!”
Zhao Qi’s encouragement gave Zhao Qiao great confidence. “Although I don’t fully understand what Your Majesty means, I will work hard to come up with a solution.”
“That’s the spirit,” Zhao Qi said with satisfaction. “I need to go out for a while. You stay here and be at ease.”
“Your Majesty, wait,” Zhao Qiao said. “I am deeply favored by the Emperor and cannot repay you, so I can only…”
Zhao Qi jumped slightly. “You’re not going to pledge yourself, are you?”
Zhao Qiao laughed. “I’d like to offer myself, but I know Your Majesty would refuse.”
“Your self-awareness reassures me.”
“But I have prepared a great gift for Your Majesty!”
“Another one?” Zhao Qi sighed. “It’s not another Chang Xiangsi No. 3, is it?”
“Not at all,” Zhao Qiao said mysteriously. “But I believe Your Majesty will definitely like this gift!”
“So where is the gift?”
Zhao Qiao replied, “Please be patient, Your Majesty. The gift will arrive tonight.”
Zhao Qi commented, “All this fuss.”
After Zhao Qiao left, Zhao Qi was invited by Xiao Shiqing to the Hall of Diligent Administration for a meeting, which lasted all day. By the time he returned to his quarters, it was already dark.
Thinking about freeing Rong Tang, Zhao Qi immediately said upon entering the palace, “Bring my peach blossoms here. I need to go to the Drunken Scholar Studio.”
Jiang Dehai approached with a somewhat strange expression on his face. “Your Majesty, perhaps you should first take a look at the grand gift Young Master Zhao Si sent you.”
“He really sent something?” Zhao Qi looked around. “Where is it?”
Jiang Dehai replied, “It’s in Your Majesty’s bedchamber.”
Zhao Qi went inside, and Jiang Dehai did not follow but instead closed the door behind him.
What on earth is going on…? Zhao Qi was confused when he suddenly heard a muffled groan.
Zhao Qi stopped in his tracks. “Who’s there? Is it an assassin?”
“…It’s me.”
Zhao Qi widened his eyes. This voice…
The sound was coming from the dragon bed. Zhao Qi pushed aside the layers of yellow gauze and arrived at the bed, where he was stunned by the sight before him. “Rong Tang? How did you…”
Rong Tang, dressed in white, was half-lying on the dragon bed. His slender chest was rising and falling, his face flushed, and his eyes were misty. He stared directly at Zhao Qi, his gaze filled with complex emotions and a subtle hint of resentment.
Zhao Qi’s first reaction was that Rong Tang had fallen ill again. He urgently said, “Hold on, I’ll call for the imperial physician right away.”
Rong Tang looked at him. “Come here.”
Lives are at stake; Zhao Qi dared not delay. He took a few steps forward and asked, “Where do you feel unwell?”
Before he could finish speaking, Rong Tang suddenly reached out and grabbed him. Even through the dragon robe, Zhao Qi could feel the heat from Rong Tang’s hand. Worried, Zhao Qi said, “You’re burning up badly. We need to get a doctor right away. Let go of me—”
Rong Tang didn’t respond. Instead, he exerted force, pulling Zhao Qi into his embrace, and they both fell onto the dragon bed.
Zhao Qi was pinned under Rong Tang and felt that not only was Rong Tang burning up, but there was also something else burning in his eyes. He turned his head and noticed a familiar red porcelain bottle on the table, suddenly realizing—
So, Rong Tang, who had been drugged, was the grand gift Zhao Qiao had sent him! Oh my god, what kind of devilish younger brother is this? He might as well just kill him directly!
Zhao Qi pushed against Rong Tang’s shoulders. “Rong Tang, you, you, you, you need to stop! You’ve got the wrong person. I’m not your beloved!”
A bead of hot sweat slid down Rong Tang’s forehead. “I haven’t made a mistake.”
Zhao Qi felt like crying but couldn’t. “Calm down and let me explain! You’ve taken a drug called Chang Xiangsi. It causes you to have illusions and mistake the person next to you for your beloved…”
“I haven’t made a mistake,” Rong Tang repeated, staring into Zhao Qi’s eyes. “You are… Zhao Qi.”
Zhao Qi: ???
What does that mean? Did Rong Tang take fake medicine?!
However, Zhao Qi quickly found he didn’t have time to ponder this question because he noticed Rong Tang… was indeed reacting.
Zhao Qi went crazy and struggled desperately. “No, no, no, no, this isn’t right! You’re supposed to be the pure and cold fairy lord! How can you, how can you—”
The more Zhao Qi struggled, the fiercer the fire in Rong Tang’s eyes burned. Zhao Qi even felt that his struggles were making Rong Tang more excited.
But he had to struggle, had to push Rong Tang away—he really didn’t want to get involved with a man!
Damn it, Rong Tang isn’t supposed to be weak and sickly, so why is he so strong?!
Losing patience, Rong Tang tore off the light gauze from the bedside and bound Zhao Qi’s struggling wrists with it, speaking in a hoarse voice, “Stop moving.”
Zhao Qi cried, “Then let me go…”
“It’s you who turned me into this,” Rong Tang said softly. “You need to take responsibility.”
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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