Chapter 59: Thousand Miles Away Zhao Yan asked, Little...
After Zhao Yan asked this question, little Zhouzi hesitated and looked like he was worried.
Zhao Yan felt that Xiao Zhouzi had changed. He used to be so swift and outspoken in front of him, but perhaps it was because of the palace coup. Zhao Yan cut off his thoughts and spoke in a slower tone, "Just say it. From now on, I will protect you well and you won't go through what happened before."
"Yes." Little Zhouzi wondered what merit or ability it had to deserve such treatment from the emperor. It would be a lie to say he dared not move, but Prince Yong had already explained that there were certain things he could and could not say. "The deposed emperor came to power illegitimately, and upon ascending the throne he was unable to appease the people. Therefore, he feigned deep affection for his old lover. The Purple Palace remains as it was before Your Majesty left, and the deposed emperor regularly dispatches people to clean and maintain it. Your Majesty must not be deceived by these superficial appearances."
Zhao Yan frowned. "I won't be intimidated by Zhao Cheng's hypocrisy. He killed my father, so he deserves death a hundred times."
"I'm glad you think so, Your Majesty."
"Let's not talk about him anymore," Zhao Yan changed the subject: "Let's talk about other things."
Zhao Yan had a very vague understanding of Dayan's operating mechanism, mainly because he had only the IQ of a ten-year-old when he first traveled through time. He only knew that he had to change his fate, so he left Yujing. Because his mother doted on him so much, he lived like a useless person for the past ten years. But now it was different. He had to make Dayan, this huge machine, run on behalf of his father, and he had to know every part of this machine like the back of his hand.
Fortunately, although Dayan is a fictitious state, its overall structure is still similar, except that the names of the detailed official positions are different.
"Tell me, who were the cabinet ministers when father was in power, and which ones were replaced and which ones were reused after Zhao Cheng ascended the throne." Zhao Yan wanted to know objectively. In fact, it would be better to ask Yong Shaolan, but Yong Shaolan was too busy. He couldn't catch anyone in ten days of white moon, so it would be nice to get a brief understanding from Xiao Zhouzi.
Little Zhouzi had been in Taiji Palace since he was a child, so he was very familiar with the major families in Yujing, so he told Zhao Yan about them one by one.
A few days later, the army finally reached Yujing. Because of the long journey, the ministers who had come to greet Zhao Yan worried that he would be overwhelmed and suggested he stay at Yujing's temporary palace for two days before returning home. This palace was the same one Zhao Yan had stayed in six months prior, traveling from Jinling to Yujing. Following the army all the way from Liaodong to Yujing, it would be a lie to say he wasn't exhausted, but Zhao Yan didn't refuse.
After the hour of You that night, when Zhao Yan was chatting with Wen Quan in his room, the young guard outside the palace where he was staying came to inform him. As a result, the young guard had just entered the room when Yong Shaolan, wearing a cloak, hurried in.
The candles on the desk burned brightly, the charcoal stove in the center of the hall crackled, and the whistling wind slapped the carved window lattices outside the palace. The hall was relatively quiet. Several guards sent by the Shen family stood silently, like knights in Western fairy tales. Little Zhouzi stood in front of the desk, waiting to be served tea.
When Yong Shaolan entered, Xiao Zhouzi was the first to react. He quickly put down the tea and bowed to the man: "Your servant pays homage to His Royal Highness Prince Yong."
Wenquan was next, closing the book and saying, "It's getting late, Your Majesty, please rest early. I will withdraw now."
Zhao Yan pursed his lips, suppressing the urge to rush over and hug Yong Shaolan. He put down the brush in his hand and pretended to be an adult like a child playing house. He stood up and said calmly to the people in the hall, "Ahem, Prince Yong and I still have some things to discuss. All of you may leave."
As soon as he finished speaking, the dozen or so people standing in the hall retreated in unison. When only Zhao Yan and Yong Shaolan were left in the hall, Zhao Yan couldn't wait to dash towards Yong Shaolan, like a butterfly fluttering towards nectar, not caring about the shawl on his body, which slid down his back and piled on the thick carpet.
"Brother Lan!" Zhao Yan grabbed Yong Shaolan's neck, his legs wrapped around Yong Shaolan's waist like a knot: "You finally knew to come find me! I've been so bored these past few days!"
Yong Shaolan pecked the boy on the lips and carried his butt toward the inner hall: "Sorry, I'm still very busy recently and don't have time to come and see you."
After saying that, Yong Shaolan retracted his apologetic tone, lowered his head and rubbed Zhao Yan's neck, then asked in a parent's tone: "How's your homework?" as if Zhao Yan would be spanked if he didn't do his homework well.
Yong Shaolan had Wenquan assign all the lessons in theory and philosophy, not rote memorization. However, Zhao Yan disliked some extreme viewpoints, such as the idea that an emperor must constantly remember that he is number one in the world, inviolable, and infallible. Even if he is wrong, he cannot admit it in front of his ministers. In short, the emperor's reputation is more important than right and wrong, more important than anything else in the world. This, of course, includes Yong Shaolan and anyone from the Nangong clan.
Zhao Yan knew that this was a tactic to control his subordinates, but he felt that it was too heartless. How many kings, ministers, and fathers and sons had killed each other in history? Wasn't it because they paid too much attention to reason rather than emotion?
"Not bad. I feel more fulfilled than my days of horseback riding, pot-shooting, cockfighting, and dog-racing." Zhao Yan cupped Yong Shaolan's cheek, letting him hold her steady. Their eyes met, and looking into those eyes that seemed to hold stars, Zhao Yan blushed. She thought Yong Shaolan was truly sexy. Was this what it meant to be a lover's eye for beauty? "What have you been up to? Did you eat well? Did you sleep well? Hmm?"
In fact, Zhao Yan knew that even if he told Yong Shaolan to eat well and sleep well, the other party would not listen. But when you are in a relationship, you should pay more attention to each other and be like a parent, saying it and taking action. "Do you want to have a midnight snack? I'll ask Xiao Zhouzi to prepare some."
Yong Shaolan put the man on the bed, pressed on him, and held Zhao Yan's jaw: "Eat you."
After trying again, Zhao Yan felt much better. Yong Shaolan seemed to have gone to study somewhere. He poked Xiao Lizi with two fingers, and Zhao Yan felt a numbness in his lower back, as if he had been bitten by a mosquito in a place he couldn't reach. Yong Shaolan scratched it precisely, and every time he scratched it, he couldn't help but hum.
Zhao Yan was so excited that he couldn't help but stick out his tongue. His little face was covered in sweat, and his hair stuck to his wrinkled face. He looked like a doll that had been played with by its owner for a long time and had not been taken care of. His long hair hung down his shoulders, covering his back like a blanket.
Yong Shaolan lifted the boy's hair, revealing a bit of his smooth forehead, and kissed his eyelids: "Go wash it?"
Zhao Yan shook his head and leaned on Yong Shaolan's shoulder, panting like a drowned kitten: "Let me take a break first... Ha... I've indulged myself too much... I'm so tired..."
After calming down a bit, Zhao Yan couldn't help but touch Yong Shaolan's chest and abdominal muscles. Yong Shaolan was also quite fair, but not very good-looking because he had too many scars. Zhao Yan touched him and felt that Yong Shaolan had planted too many strawberries on his body, and there was no trace of himself on his body. So he bit his neck, leaving a row of neat teeth marks.
Yong Shaolan frowned and pinched Zhao Yan's jaw: "What are you doing?"
"Growing strawberries? Look at my chest, they're all bitten by you. I want to grow some for you, too." Zhao Yan then knocked away Yong Shaolan's hand that was supporting his jaw. Like an insatiable little vampire, he set his sights on the neck, which had no marks at all. However, before he could even touch it, Yong Shaolan covered his mouth with his hand: "If you leave it in your neck, it will show."
"That's right..." Zhao Yan nudged Yong Shaolan's palm. "Let's keep a low profile. No more kissing. Just hold me and take a shower."
He was carried back to the bed feeling refreshed, and Yong Shaolan stuffed him into the quilt. There was not a single uncomfortable spot on his body, and even Yong Shaolan wiped his hair clean.
Zhao Yan rolled around in the quilt, sat up, and moved closer to Yong Shaolan, wiping his hair with a towel. "Can we return to the palace before the winter month? What should I do after returning? I heard that Zhao Cheng is imprisoned. Will I be able to see him after I return?"
Zhao Yan knew that the reason why his current role as emperor was so easy was because his uncle and Yong Shaolan were busy helping him. However, he could not always rely on Yong Shaolan and his uncle to help him. He had already sworn that he would be a good emperor who was diligent in his work and loved his people like Emperor Wen of Han.
Yong Shaolan's eyes darkened. "Why are you looking at him? Just send an imperial decree and someone will help you deal with him, so you don't have to worry too much."
"...I still want to ask him why he killed my father." Zhao Yan raised his eyes to look at Yong Shaolan and said seriously, "Besides, killing him wouldn't be too easy for him. I want to lock him up and make him face my father's portrait and repent for the rest of his life!"
Yong Shaolan: “…”
Lowering his eyes, he asked Zhao Yan: "Do you think he will repent?"
Zhao Yan looked at Yong Shaolan in confusion: "Could it not be..."
Yong Shaolan took the towel from Zhao Yan and tossed it aside. He grabbed Zhao Yan's hand and pulled him into his arms. "The tomb in the imperial mausoleum is empty. He had carelessly discarded the late emperor's body somewhere long ago. A man who has no fatherly love in his eyes has no idea what repentance means. When we return to the capital, we'll kill him and deal with Zhou and his followers to prevent any further trouble."
"Ah...? Oh my god, this bastard actually dared to do this?" Zhao Yan was filled with anger when he heard this: "Bastard, bastard, bastard!"
"Okay, go to sleep," Yong Shaolan kissed the boy, "It's getting late."
Zhao Yan's face flushed with anger, tears streaming down his face. "How could he do this? He killed my father, and he didn't even leave him a complete corpse? What a bastard! What a damn bastard!"
"Don't think too highly of everyone," Yong Shaolan raised his hand to wipe away the tears from Zhao Yan's eyes, his voice light, "Including me."
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