Chapter 41: A Kiss on the Hand That Doesn’t Belong to This Era…
"He Wen? What is he doing here? Didn't he just leave court?"
Song Mingjiao was a little confused and didn't understand He Wen's intention for a moment, but the young eunuch also hesitated and couldn't explain it clearly.
Song Mingjiao could only rub his brows. He had another matter to deal with after attending court today. Since He Wen insisted on coming, they might as well watch it together.
"Prime Minister, please go behind the screen. You know where it is."
Song Mingjiao instructed Eunuch Zhao, who understood. "Yes, I understand."
There is a large screen in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, on which is a picture of misty mountains and rivers of the south of the Yangtze River during the Daliang Dynasty. Due to the hazy atmosphere, one cannot see what is happening inside the screen from outside.
Shang Nanxuan has not seen the emperor in person for a long time, and with his current rank and qualifications, he is not qualified to attend court and meet the emperor every day.
So when a young eunuch from the palace came to the gate of his mansion and announced that the emperor wanted to see him, Shang Nanxuan was first in disbelief, and then he was overwhelmed with indescribable joy. But after the joy, he was filled with intense panic. He was worried that it was because of what happened that day, so He Wen told the emperor.
Shang Nanxuan, under the guidance of Eunuch Zhao, walked into the Palace of Tranquil Longevity again with trepidation, and saw Song Mingjiao sitting next to him on the low couch.
Song Mingjiao was wearing a loose robe with wide sleeves. There was a chessboard in front of him, but he was not playing against anyone. Instead, he was playing chess with himself.
"I pay my respects to Your Majesty."
Shang Nanxuan, who had been severely taught a lesson by Song Mingjiao, was obviously much more obedient than when Song Mingjiao first came to this small world. No matter what he thought in his heart, he could only salute Song Mingjiao politely.
Song Mingjiao was quite pleased with the former male protagonist's fear of him. His deliberate indifference these past few days, coupled with letting the former male protagonist experience the ups and downs of officialdom, must have been a good lesson for the former male protagonist, who used to think highly of himself. Song Mingjiao ignored the point deduction warnings that were frantically ringing in his mind.
"Nan Xuan, you're here."
Song Mingjiao's voice was soft and pleasant, like a cool spring. She called Shang Nanxuan's name so gently that Shang Nanxuan suddenly thought that everything that had happened in the past few days was just his illusion.
They are still the little emperor and the poor scholar who met secretly away from all eyes and ears.
Sure enough, Song Mingjiao still likes him, right?
Shang Nanxuan, who had been humble at first, thought that Song Mingjiao had changed his mind and was moved and wanted to call Song Mingjiao.
The next second, the emperor sitting on the couch turned around and said to him with a smile: "I still prefer your original, uh, unruly look."
"Your Majesty, Mingjiao, I know I was wrong. I was so focused on studying recently, hoping to win first place in the palace examination and bring honor to you, that I neglected you. Mingjiao, you've taught me a lesson these past few days. Has your anger subsided? Let's just be like before, okay?"
Song Mingjiao's gentle attitude gave Shang Nanxuan the illusion that the emperor in front of him had just taken off his gorgeous clothes after court, and there was no eunuch Zhao or other palace maids or eunuchs serving him. It was as if the two of them were alone in the alley of a private house, making Shang Nanxuan forget the difference in status between him and Song Mingjiao.
Song Mingjiao marveled at Shang Nanxuan's shamelessness. It seemed that the original male protagonist of this world was of a higher level and more shameless than that of the previous world.
Song Mingjiao threw the black piece in his hand onto the chessboard, making a light sound.
This is treating him as a boyfriend who is angry and upset and trying to appease him. Although Song Mingjiao deliberately created the atmosphere today, Shang Nanxuan's typical scumbag speech still made Song Mingjiao amazed.
But the show has to go on. Killing the chicken to scare the monkey, the focus is not the chicken, but the monkey.
Song Mingjiao glanced at the screen next to him inadvertently, and seemed to be able to vaguely see that the screen shook slightly.
Then Shang Nanxuan saw the emperor, who was high above him, bending down and reaching out to touch his face.
Those hands had been pampered since childhood, and were white and tender. When they first touched his, Shang Nanxuan even felt strangely excited.
"But I heard that your behavior these days doesn't seem like you're seriously reflecting on your mistakes. Someone told me that they heard rumors about me. Were you the one who spread them? Hmm, Lord Shang?"
Song Mingjiao asked softly while touching Shang Nanxuan's face.
He was so close to Shang Nanxuan that he could even vaguely sense the emperor's gentle breath and the lingering scent of ambergris. Wherever Song Mingjiao's fingertips passed, Shang Nanxuan felt a tremendous pressure, and dared not move.
It turned out to be that bitch He Wen who snitched!
"I missed Your Majesty too much, so I lost my composure."
Song Mingjiao's slender waist moved in front of Shang Nanxuan, making Shang Nanxuan unable to help but want to hug that fragrance again, just like before, but Song Mingjiao easily avoided his arms.
"But my dear minister, didn't you choose death over obedience before me before? You didn't want to become something, uh, you call it a flatterer? You think it defiled you? Hmm?"
Song Mingjiao's voice was very soft, even whispered close to Shang Nanxuan's ear, full of bewitching flavor, so Shang Nanxuan did not notice the emperor's increasingly cold eyes.
If you want to pretend, then pretend as hard as you can.
When the emperor was so self-deprecating, I don't know where this man got the nerve to think the emperor was unworthy of him. Now, he's just been ignored for a while, letting him experience the treacherous world of officialdom, and he can't stand it? He doesn't even pretend to be noble, kneeling before him politely and begging for forgiveness?
"All under heaven belongs to the king. I simply understand that as a court official, I owe you my all to serve Your Majesty."
Song Mingjiao finally heard what he wanted to hear, sat up straight, clapped his hands and said with a smile:
"Good! Very good!"
Shang Nanxuan was a little confused. Looking at Song Mingjiao's actions, he suddenly felt that something was out of control.
"Since you are willing to serve me, I will not let you down. I will entrust the disaster relief work in Lingbei to my sixth brother because I value him."
"But my dear, I also have my eye on you. Therefore, since the Southwest Governor has reported that the position of county magistrate is vacant, I will give you an opportunity to gain experience."
Shang Nanxuan was stunned when he heard this. He didn't know why the atmosphere of love and affection just now suddenly turned into that of the emperor and his subjects. He also received an inexplicable change of official position.
The official position of a county magistrate is lower than his current sixth-rank position as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, and he is not even a Beijing official. What is the difference between this and demotion and exile?
"Your Majesty, this—"
"This is what you requested just now, my dear. Why don't you thank me?"
Song Mingjiao was still smiling, but his eyes had already moved away from Shang Nanxuan without any reluctance. Even the hand that had just touched Shang Nanxuan's face was patted on his clothes several times, as if he was brushing off dust.
Shangnan was hanging in the air as if falling into an ice cellar.
Even though he was playing against himself, Song Mingjiao's black and white pieces were still evenly matched. In the end, the black pieces had a slight advantage, trapping the white pieces in the center and capturing them all.
The emperor no longer looked at him. From Shang Nanxuan's angle, he could only see Song Mingjiao's superior profile, with soft yet clear lines, a straight nose, slightly curved lips, and delicate and smooth skin. She was a true beauty.
But this beauty is the most noble emperor in the world, who can do whatever she wants and play with him at her will. When she likes him, she says she loves him, but she can change her face very quickly. When she doesn't like him, she even wants to kick him out of the capital.
Shang Nanxuan gritted his teeth, realizing at this moment that Song Mingjiao had been playing a trick on him. "Your Majesty, you did it on purpose! Were you teasing me just now?"
"The emperor's words are golden. I have done nothing wrong! Why has Your Majesty demoted me to a remote place?"
"I didn't do anything wrong? Shang Nanxuan, do I need to list all the things you've done one by one and throw them in your face?"
Shang Nanxuan recalled the boasting he had done in front of his colleagues, the curses he had cursed against the royal family members in private, the slander and fabrications he had made against the emperor, and even the time when he tried to find a way to cheat because he was worried that Song Mingjiao would not give him the answers.
Shang Nanxuan felt guilty about all the things he had done. Now being stared at by Song Mingjiao's eyes that saw through everything, he suddenly became speechless.
"Also, if you ever hear anything about me in private again, I will have no choice but to help keep your tongue safe."
Shang Nanxuan's back was covered in cold sweat, and he collapsed to the ground. Only then did he realize that he had been dating the current emperor. His life, honor, disgrace, and success were all in the hands of Song Mingjiao. Song Mingjiao didn't even need to hit or scold him to make him fall into hell forever.
Shang Nanxuan moved his lips a few times, but his hands and feet were numb and he couldn't speak at all.
"Someone, take him out."
Given Song Mingjiao's current status, it would be easy for her to make a move on the male protagonist. She wouldn't need to spend too much energy on it, and no one would dare to stop her.
After taking one last look at Shang Nanxuan, he lost all interest in this man. It would be best to keep Shang Nanxuan away so as not to affect his mood.
Shang Nanxuan seemed to want to struggle to say something one last time, but fortunately, Eunuch Zhao was very considerate and had already brought in a pair of guards, who covered Shang Nanxuan's mouth and forcibly dragged him away.
[Host! Your inferiority complex has collapsed by 50%.]
The system's resentful voice sounded in Song Mingjiao's mind, and it even tried to use its non-existent virtual body to try to bring the male protagonist back.
Song Mingjiao felt that it would be better if this system could go with the male protagonist. He was not attached to this so-called system.
"I see. It's only 50%, not a big deal. Let me know when it's 100%. Okay, you can leave too."
Song Mingjiao, who had experienced this once, obviously did not take the system's warning seriously and directly blew the system away.
*
"You've been watching for so long, it's time to come out."
When all the troublesome people had left and Eunuch Zhao quietly closed the door of the Hall of Mental Cultivation again, Song Mingjiao put down the chess piece, supported his chin, and looked towards the screen with a smile.
The screen shook a few times, and one could even see the trajectory of the shadow on the opposite side. After a long while, a figure came out. It was He Wen.
It turned out that when He Wen asked to see the emperor after the court session, he was brought behind this screen by the emperor's personal eunuch and witnessed the entire confrontation between Song Mingjiao and Shang Nanxuan.
He Wen walked up to Song Mingjiao with a complicated expression. After a long silence, he spoke in a low voice, "Your Majesty summoned me here just to enjoy this show?"
Song Mingjiao did not answer but asked, "My dear, don't you like this scene?"
He Wen's lips moved. He really wanted to ask Song Mingjiao:
Do you call every minister "Ai Qing" like this? Is he no different from Shang Nanxuan in Song Mingjiao's heart?
But in the end, He Wen still didn't say this: "I like it. As long as Your Majesty shows it to me, I like it."
Song Mingjiao hummed softly: "Come here and play chess with me."
He Wen couldn't guess Song Mingjiao's intentions, so he rushed to see her after leaving the court. Last night, he finally understood his own feelings, and as if his love had just begun to bloom, he couldn't wait to tell his beloved.
But after arriving, He Wen not only did not see Song Mingjiao, but instead heard about the past between Song Mingjiao and Shang Nanxuan.
He Wen couldn't describe the feeling in his heart.
Resentment, jealousy, and loss?
Song Mingjiao gestured to He Wen to sit opposite him. This man was taller than him and sat very straight, as if he regarded the emperor's invitation to play chess as an important matter.
Song Mingjiao, who was leaning casually on the low couch, was much smaller than He Wen.
Song Mingjiao stretched out his hand to stop He Wen from tidying up the chessboard. His slender fingers gently rested on the back of He Wen's hand. He Wen suddenly looked up at the emperor opposite him as if he had been electrocuted.
The emperor winked at him, raised the corners of his mouth, and said in a rising tone, "Don't move, just stay with me like this."
In the remaining chess game, it is obvious that the black pieces on Song Mingjiao's side have the advantage. If they don't start over, He Wen will have almost no chance of winning.
It was a very unfair chess game, but Song Mingjiao said it was the reward he deserved.
"I obey the order."
He Wen had no objection to this. Perhaps this was why he and Song Mingjiao's brain circuits were so compatible. He truly felt that Song Mingjiao's willingness to play chess with him was a reward for him. As for whether or not it was throwing him into an unfavorable situation, He Wen didn't care.
The game is over.
"Prime Minister, you lose."
Song Mingjiao was very good at chess and had the advantage. Moreover, his opponent was not thinking about this at all, so he won the game without much effort.
"I am not well-versed in my art and have not been able to satisfy Your Majesty."
When Song Mingjiao took away the chess pieces, He Wendu was still looking at the white pieces in his hand with lingering interest. He rarely had such an opportunity to sit down and get along with Song Mingjiao on an equal footing, so he cherished it very much.
"What? My dear, don't you think I was being aggressive and forcing you to lose, just like I was just being mean and ungrateful to my former mistress?"
Song Mingjiao lowered his head and gathered the chess pieces one by one into his palm without looking up at He Wen. But just as he finished speaking, he felt another warm breath coming from his fingertips.
Song Mingjiao tried to pull his fingers out several times but couldn't get them out of the man's hand. Then he frowned and looked up at He Wen opposite him.
He Wen's expression was complicated, as if he had been struggling for a long time, or as if he was suppressing his inner emotions. He looked at Song Mingjiao for a long time before he said in a low voice:
"Your Majesty, it's Shang Nanxuan who's unworthy. How could someone like Shang Nanxuan deserve Your Majesty's favor? He deserves what he's getting today. Your Majesty is merciful and willing to spare Shang Nanxuan's life. That's a great blessing for him."
He Wen spared no effort to pull down his opponent.
"Mercy? I like to hear that."
Song Mingjiao didn't expect He Wen's filter to be so heavy. It was a little funny. He wanted to hear what else He Wen said.
"Furthermore, Your Majesty was young, so it was no wonder that a villain like Shang Nanxuan had no responsibility to advise you. Not only did he fail to guide Your Majesty, but he actually led Him astray. Shang Nanxuan is fully responsible! Moreover, he has already received Your Majesty's favor, but he has no gratitude at all. This is the most unforgivable."
He Wen could naturally say as much as he wanted to when it came to disparaging his love rival, but Song Mingjiao caught the key words in He Wen's entire speech.
"Wrong path? Do you think that the relationship between me and Shang Nanxuan is wrong, and that I shouldn't be sociable?"
"No, what I mean is—"
Seeing the little emperor holding his chin and pondering the philosophical topic of whether having sex with a man was really against the will of heaven, He Wen felt that his future happy life was not going well, so he quickly wanted to bring the focus back.
What he wanted to express was that being with someone like Shang Nanxuan was certainly a wrong path, but being with a man was normal and there was no problem at all. The little emperor must not suddenly come to his senses and turn back at this time!
But unfortunately, He Wen didn't have time to say this.
Song Mingjiao thought for a long time, took He Wen's hand, and pulled him to the table next to him.
"Love makes sense. I've been thinking about it for a long time these days and feel that I was indeed not thoughtful enough in the past. I liked novelty and that's why I got involved in something I shouldn't have."
"Now that I have come of age, marrying and having children is the proper path for me. So, my dear, look, these are the memorials submitted by the ministers, requesting that I select and choose a concubine. The Prime Minister is definitely more reliable than Shang Nanxuan. He is not worthy of me, so the Prime Minister will advise me on my behalf."
He Wen was still savoring the feeling of Song Mingjiao holding his hand, but when he suddenly heard the word "draft", he was stunned.
The little emperor is indeed old enough, but how could this happen suddenly?
no!
No, he has no position.
Song Mingjiao sat down, supporting his head with his hands, and looked at He Wen who was standing stiffly beside him, finding it quite interesting.
He Wen was disturbed by the news that the emperor was about to appoint a queen and take concubines, but he was still forced by the emperor to look for a suitable daughter for him.
Isn't this very suitable for watching a play? Song Mingjiao felt that he was indeed quite suitable for the oppressed class.
He Wen took a deep breath and almost wanted to throw the memorial in his hand away.
What's the point of those ministers who don't do their jobs every day and only know how to persuade the emperor to take a concubine! But he didn't dare to do such a treasonous thing in front of Song Mingjiao.
After fretfully reading through several portrait biographies, He Wen looked up and saw Song Mingjiao's sincere and hopeful gaze, as if he really hoped that he, the elderly prime minister, could come up with some advice for the young emperor like an older brother.
"What do you think, my dear?"
"Your Majesty, your Majesty, please take a look. You are all vulgar and unworthy of Your Majesty."
He Wen stared at the names intently, and therefore missed Song Mingjiao's smiling eyes.
Oh my, how can I tolerate this?
Song Mingjiao felt that if He Wen didn't seize this opportunity after so many stimulations, it would be useless even if he tossed and turned after returning.
Song Mingjiao twirled his pen out of boredom, thinking to himself, why not just find someone else? He Wen in this world doesn't seem to be easy to understand.
Well, the general that day was very good, with strong muscles and a loyal person. I think he could have enjoyed a great experience.
If that wasn't enough, his good brother, who pretended to be well-behaved but was actually scheming, wasn't bad either. Never mind, after all, theoretically, this body and his brother were related by blood, and they didn't eat grass near their burrows.
Song Mingjiao was distracted by his own thoughts. The imperial concubine selection memorial he had used to provoke He Wen was not fake. To be precise, such remarks had been ringing in his ears since the first day he arrived in this small world.
But Song Mingjiao never took it to heart. He had no intention of having his marriage arranged by a group of old-fashioned ministers from a small world.
Besides, why do people have to get married? To put it another way, is it necessary to get married in order to have an intimate relationship?
Song Mingjiao is not a good host of the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars, nor is he a good person in the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars. His eyes always reveal a bit of naive cruelty that is ignorant of the world, and he is completely pretending to understand human etiquette.
While Song Mingjiao was still in a daze, He Wen suddenly put down the memorials in his hands that were clamoring to choose a concubine for the emperor. His breathing became faster and he said through gritted teeth:
"I feel that none of this is worthy of Your Majesty."
Song Mingjiao supported her head with her hair hanging down from her face. The candlelight flickered, and the falling candlelight made Song Mingjiao's face look hazy and beautiful.
His expression looked somewhat distressed, but between the corners of his eyes and eyebrows, he could not hide the smile:
"Oh? These are all noble ladies from the capital, carefully selected by the ministers. If their qualifications are not up to par, where can the Prime Minister find a concubine for me who is both steady and upright, yet gentle and considerate?"
He Wen could no longer hear the emperor's teasing intent. He was very serious, as if he was doing something serious that could get him beheaded. He lifted up his robe and knelt down beside Song Mingjiao with a plop.
Song Mingjiao smiled and covered her mouth with her hands: "What are you doing with all this noise?"
He Wang didn't dare to look Song Mingjiao in the eye. He lowered his head and hands, as if he had made up his mind, and said, "I can do it."
He Wen remembered that he had been thinking about what he would do if the emperor forced or invited him to become his lover.
But now, he knew clearly that the emperor would never invite him. On the contrary, he needed to ask the almighty emperor for everything.
"My dear minister, you just said that relationships between men are not the right path."
Song Mingjiao's voice sounded distressed.
"It was I who seduced Your Majesty. Whether it be from Heaven or the people, if there are any opinions, it is entirely my fault and Your Majesty will never be implicated."
He Wen's attitude was serious.
"But why should I form an intimate relationship with you? I don't like you, my dear lord."
The emperor's straightforward words made He Wen's heart ache like a needle.
"I will satisfy Your Majesty. I will do better than Shang Nanxuan. Your Majesty has invited me to play many times. I think I have something to please Your Majesty and will make Your Majesty feel interesting."
"Well, then I will reluctantly give the Prime Minister a chance."
Song Mingjiao smiled and stretched out his hand, intending to pull He Wen up.
But He Wen was ecstatic, as if he had found a treasure. The prime minister, who was always steady and self-possessed, almost jumped up from the ground. Then, he did something that stunned Song Mingjiao.
——He Wen kissed the back of Song Mingjiao's hand gently and tenderly.
This is an etiquette that is completely out of place in this era. In ancient society, there were only hierarchies of respect and inferiority, and there was no romance or free love.
He Wen had never seen this etiquette before. But for some reason, after he received Song Mingjiao's permission today and the emperor's willingness to let him open his heart, the first and only thought that emerged in his mind was this.
It was not like an ordinary minister who had the right to be pulled up by the emperor himself, but he had to place a kiss on the back of his sweetheart's hand.
Song Mingjiao, who was originally smiling, stiffened slightly after seeing He Wen's action.
It seemed that at some point, he saw the shadow of another person in the Prime Minister He Wen in front of him, who was full of ancient charm and dressed in ancient official uniform.
After that day, He Wen thought that he could have a romantic life with Song Mingjiao, but unexpectedly, Song Mingjiao only wanted to spend her wedding night with him.
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