Chapter 66: Thousand Miles Journey
When Little Zhouzi arrived at the palace, Yong Shaolan was in the study, discussing military manpower with the Ministry of War. The barbarians excelled in horseback archery, and the terrain of the wilderness was complex and varied. The transfer of generals was crucial for victory. The tea had already been refilled three times, and the arguing continued. Finally, the servant outside the palace couldn't wait any longer and knocked on the study door. "Your Highness, Eunuch Zhou is here. He says he has something important to tell you."
One of the ministers said: "Don't you see that the prince is discussing military affairs? Get out."
The person who spoke had no idea that the young eunuch outside the door was the emperor's servant. He simply thought he was the ignorant fool of the inner eunuch. But after he finished speaking, he saw the strange expressions on everyone's faces and realized that he might have said something wrong: "Uh... If the prince has something important to say, then why don't we end today's business here?"
Yong Shaolan pinched his brows, remembering what Zhao Yan had said to him a few days ago.
After hesitating for a moment, he said, "No need. Please ask someone to wait in the side hall."
The side hall of the study was separated from where they were discussing matters by a mere wall, so the voices could be heard from the other side. Military affairs were imperial secrets. If such a matter could be overheard by a eunuch, the person must be someone extraordinary. The minister had paled, unsure of who he had offended. Then, Sun Jianqing's son intervened, "Your Majesty, sending someone here so late, must be about something urgent. We should reach a conclusion quickly—this matter still requires the Prince's decision."
Yong Shaolan made the final decision in the inner hall, leaving little Zhouzi, waiting in the side hall, trembling with fear. His Majesty had just learned that the prince was planning military action, and he had listened carefully to the details in the palace. If His Majesty asked later, he would definitely tell her... But the prince hadn't even informed His Majesty of the military deployment, so how could he have accidentally overheard the dispatch of troops and generals?
Xiao Zhouzi could only pray silently in his heart, "Your Highness must have been exhausted from His Majesty's recent stay... He didn't mean for me to hear...!" The voice in his heart gradually faded, and the door of the side hall was pushed open from the inside. Yong Shaolan glanced at Xiao Zhouzi, whose forehead was covered with cold sweat, and said, "I will enter the palace now."
Little Zhouzi knelt on the ground, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty hasn't asked me what I want..."
Wenquan put a cloak on Yong Shaolan. Yong Shaolan gave Xiao Zhouzi a cold look, which frightened Xiao Zhouzi so much that he quickly told the purpose of his visit: "This slave deserves death. Yes, a few days ago, a young eunuch was captured in the palace. Your Majesty had the inner court interrogate him, and that person insisted on seeing Your Majesty... Your Majesty said that he was undecided about this matter and wanted Your Majesty to accompany him."
Yong Shaolan's eyes darkened. "You go back first. I will be there soon."
When Yong Shaolan arrived at the Zichen Hall, Zhao Yan had not yet rested and was working at his desk.
Yong Shaolan entered the hall alone, carrying a midnight snack he'd bought from the city. The weather had been slowly warming up towards the end of the year, but the nights were still bitterly cold. As Yong Shaolan approached, he felt a chill emanating from his cloak. Zhao Yan put down his pen and, instead of checking the midnight snack in the food drawer, reached for him. Yong Shaolan took a step back, unbuttoning his cloak. "It's very cold," he said, then went to warm himself by the stove before walking over to Zhao Yan, lifting him up by his hips.
"Shh... stop touching me," Zhao Yan pushed Yong Shaolan's hand away, "My asshole is about to shut."
"...It's very tightly closed. I saw it last night." Yong Shaolan kissed the young man on the lips before putting him back on the desk. "It's so late, why don't you rest?"
"Little Zhouzi, did you tell me why I came to see you?" Zhao Yan put away the memorials he had written and stacked them neatly. "Do you have anything to do tomorrow? Can you accompany me? I'll feel safer with you by my side."
Zhao Yan spoke, his hands supporting his cheeks, the dim candlelight reflected in his pale pupils. Yong Shaolan knelt on the futon opposite him, wearing a set of restrictive casual clothes so that he could go to the street to buy food. "Yes."
Before Yong Shaolan entered the palace, Xiao Zhouzi returned and recounted to Zhao Yan everything he had heard at the palace. Yong Shaolan's plans for external expansion were a foregone conclusion. Zhao Yan was puzzled as to why Yong Shaolan hadn't told him. Perhaps he was afraid he wouldn't agree? Or was there something else? After pondering various explanations, Zhao Yan finally analyzed Yong Shaolan and found him to be somewhat distrustful, cold, authoritarian, and self-centered. Yong Shaolan, on the other hand, was somewhat sensitive to him, even feeling inferior.
His lack of trust is closely related to his childhood experiences. Perhaps living in the political vortex, many people, like Yong Shaolan, grew up with family experiences that made them ruthless and cold-blooded, making it difficult for them to establish trust. However, having lived for seventeen years in his previous life, he had developed a very mature outlook on life. This led to a clash of perspectives between him and Yong Shaolan, and while he saw this clash as a normal argument, Yong Shaolan saw it as a source of inferiority and anxiety.
Yong Shaolan has the ability to be a qualified monarch, but such a cold-blooded, sensitive and suspicious person is willing to kneel at his knees.
Zhao Yan glanced at Yong Shaolan, leaned over the desk, raised his hand and punched him on the shoulder: "Brother Lan, you are the best person to me in this world. I love you."
Zhao Yan's eyes were curved, and his thick, curled eyelashes cast a crescent-shaped shadow on his eyelids against the backdrop of the candlelight. Zhao Yan wanted to give Yong Shaolan a sense of security, his recognition and affirmation. But as soon as he finished speaking, his wrist was grasped by a warm hand, and Zhao Yan's whole body threw himself towards Yong Shaolan. After another dizzy spell, he was pressed on the carpet, and a hot, slippery tongue probed into his mouth, licking the root of his tongue. Yong Shaolan panted lowly, pressed his forehead against his, and the two people's breath blended with each other. Zhao Yan held Yong Shaolan's cheek, kissed him on the lips, and smiled: "Why are you reacting so strongly today? Are you fascinated by me?"
Yong Shaolan pressed him onto the carpet, lifted up his piled-up clothes, and kissed his ears: "Baby, I love you too."
Ancient people's trousers were similar to the open-crotch pants we wore as children. Although shameful, they were convenient for going to the bathroom. Only the poor wore single-piece clothes that covered their buttocks, making it easier to do things. The emperor's cumbersome formal dress featured the idea of "lifting the robe to eat." Zhao Yan had been ate by Yong Shaolan several times. The boy clenched his fists and picked at the hair on the ground, suppressing a few scattered gasps in his throat: "It's so embarrassing, can you please stop calling me baby?"
Yong Shaolan held the back of Zhao Yan's neck and said, "There is a bronze mirror in front."
Zhao Yan: "...Dude...can you please stop being so perverted? I'm not here to talk to you about serious matters..."
Yong Shaolan panted softly and kissed Zhao Yan's lips.
…
At noon the next day, Yong Shaolan and Zhao Yan finished their lunch together in the Taiji Hall. Xiao Zhouzi had been guarding the outer hall. Someone from the inner court had come by earlier that morning, saying that the young eunuch had woken up. Xiao Zhouzi didn't dare disturb His Majesty and the Prince from their work, so he had to wait until now. Seeing that they had some free time, he reminded them, "Your Majesty, Prince, someone from the inner court just came by and said that the young eunuch has woken up. Should we go check on him now?"
"Let's go," Zhao Yan originally wanted Yong Shaolan to accompany him to meet the thief today. "Maybe it's really the remnants of Zhao Cheng who want to harm me. Brother Lan, you have to protect me when the time comes."
Yong Shaolan: “…”
He frowned, feeling that things were not that simple.
The two men rode in a sedan chair to the inner court dungeon. The head jailer, appointed by Yong Shaolan, explained the interrogation of the young eunuch in detail: "Your Majesty, Prince, this man insisted on seeing Your Majesty in person. I was afraid of delaying matters, so I reported it to Eunuch Zhou."
The young eunuch who was brought out for interrogation was still shackled and had marks of torture on his body. Zhao Yan frowned and turned away, "Tell me, what do you want to tell me in person?"
The young eunuch looked no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, skinny as a skeleton, and didn't look like someone from the palace. Hearing Zhao Yan speak, the young eunuch raised his head, then glanced at Yong Shaolan beside Zhao Yan, then shook his head and said, "Slave, I can only speak to His Majesty alone about this matter..."
Zhao Yan: “…”
Without waiting for Zhao Yan to speak, Yong Shaolan said coldly, "Don't report this kind of thing to His Majesty in the future. Just kill him directly."
Upon hearing this, the jailers in the inner court all knelt on the ground. Seeing the prince in front of him about to stand up and leave, the young eunuch hesitated, not knowing what to do. Finally, before Zhao Yan's patience ran out, he prostrated himself on the ground, first crying loudly, and then said, "Seventh Prince... the late emperor and Eunuch Hu... they are not dead... they were hidden by the deposed emperor in Taizong's imperial tomb! If your majesty does not believe it, just send someone to check and you will know the truth!"
When these words were spoken, everyone present in the inner court was dumbfounded. Emperor Taizong was the father of Emperor Yuanwu. After Emperor Yuanwu established the Great Yan Dynasty, he was posthumously named Emperor Taizong of Yan, and his tomb was on the mountain in the south of Yujing City.
Zhao Yan's head exploded with fireworks when he heard this. He walked over and grabbed the eunuch's collar, "Is everything you said true?"
The jailer kneeling on the ground turned pale as he finally realized something. He stammered, "Your Majesty, I have investigated this man's background. He is... one of the people who were sent to collect the imperial tomb more than half a year ago. Moreover... and he is from the same hometown as Eunuch Hu."
Zhao Yan loosened the young eunuch's collar and said calmly, "Prepare the carriage. I want to go and see him myself. Send someone to treat him. Don't let anything happen to him before I return."
Zhao Yan walked out of the inner court dungeon, and Yong Shaolan followed Zhao Yan steadily, "I'll go with you."
…
The Zhao family mausoleum on Yujing's southern mountain occupies several hilltops. Because Dayan was founded less than a century ago and many industries are still underdeveloped, the imperial mausoleum has not been extensively renovated. Furthermore, it's winter, and the snow hasn't completely melted, making the ascent quite difficult. Zhao Yan, unable to sit still in his sedan chair, opened the curtain and watched the imperial guards marching off ahead. "Brother Lan, be sure to tell them to be careful. I'm afraid Zhao Cheng's men might become desperate and take action."
"Hmm." This matter had not yet been proven, but in the minds of the two, it was almost a foregone conclusion. The whereabouts of Emperor Yuanwu's body had not yet been found. Even if the matter was absurd, it was impossible. "Don't worry, if Zhao Cheng didn't kill him, then the people he left behind to guard him wouldn't easily touch him."
"That's right..." Zhao Yan's nerves were in a mess. He withdrew his gaze, raised his head and sighed: "I really can't imagine that things would turn out like this... If the emperor is still alive, why would Zhao Cheng do this?"
Yong Shaolan's eyes darkened: "Then only he knows."
By dusk, the Imperial Guards had finally found the entrance to the mausoleum. Zhao Yan followed Yong Shaolan down the mausoleum. Sure enough, there was a small hole in front of the stone gate, only about twenty centimeters long and wide. The Imperial Guards, crouching before the hole, peeked inside and noticed something was amiss. "Your Majesty, there's someone inside."
Zhao Yan walked over, knelt on one knee on the ground, and shouted inside: "Father, Father, are you there? Father? Ah Yan is here to save you?"
After a while, there was a rustling sound of footsteps coming from inside. Zhao Yan saw a man in a black dragon robe, "Ah Yan? Father is fine."
It's true.
Zhao Yan tightly grasped the hand extended by Emperor Yuanwu, tears streaming down his face. "Father, you really... you really are not dead..."
The imperial guards used logs to knock the stone gate open. Within the cramped tomb passage stood a noticeably thinner Emperor Wu of Yuan. Dressed in mourning, his beard unkempt, he still exuded the dominance of an emperor, like a long-forgotten ancient sword, unsheathed, its edge undiminished.
The accompanying imperial guards all knelt on the ground upon seeing the lost Taizu. Only Zhao Yanfei rushed forward and buried his head in Emperor Yuanwu's chest: "Father!"
Yong Shaolan frowned, his eyes fixed on Zhao Yan. Without waiting for Emperor Yuanwu to speak, he stood up and stepped forward: "Your Majesty, it's getting late. The yin energy here is very strong. We should go back quickly and let the imperial physician see the emperor."
Yong Shaolan emphasized the words "Grand Emperor," but Zhao Yan didn't understand what was going on. Emperor Yuanwu gave Yong Shaolan a cold look, then snorted softly, rubbed Zhao Yan's head, and wiped away his tears: "You're already the emperor, yet you keep crying all the time. Father is fine. Prince Yong is right. We need to go back quickly and block the news—"
The events following the coup were far too complex for Emperor Yuanwu to explain to Zhao Yan. He hadn't even imagined he'd see the light of day again—he didn't know the full extent of the situation outside. However, the court couldn't be shaken. With the Zhao family scandal of patricide and regicide, and now that he'd "resurrected," there was no guarantee that the various factions within Yujing would be surging. For example, Prince Yong's forces. Emperor Yuanwu was a master judge of people, and he could predict Zhao Yan's ascension to the throne with a near-complete accuracy. Yong Shaolan had feelings for Zhao Yan and was undoubtedly worried that he would pose a threat.
But Zhao Yan is also his beloved son.
Emperor Yuanwu patted Yong Shaolan on the shoulder, his tone softening, even a bit conciliatory: "Shaolan, you've worked hard."
The accompanying imperial guards were temporarily left at Nanshan, guarded by the personal guards of Prince Yong's palace. That evening, at midnight, Zhao Yan brought Emperor Yuanwu and Hu Fu back to Taiji Palace. The imperial physician from the Imperial Medical Bureau came over and took Emperor Yuanwu's pulse through the curtain. Fortunately, he was not seriously injured and would recover with rest.
Zhao Yan stood by Emperor Yuanwu's bedside. His tears had dried, but the blush on his face persisted, and his eyelashes were still wet. Yong Shaolan stood behind Zhao Yan, and the princes of Prince Yong's palace surrounded the Taiji Hall.
"Father, I've been hunted by Zhao Cheng for a long time. If it weren't for Brother Lan's help, I would have died in the Northern Frontier..." Zhao Yan spoke incessantly, pouring out his experiences after the palace coup to Emperor Yuanwu like pouring water. Emperor Yuanwu sighed a few times and asked, "Your brother..."
"He's been imprisoned in the inner court by my son." Zhao Yan: "Father, what did Zhao Cheng do after the palace coup?"
Emperor Yuanwu's eyelids sank. "The past cannot be brought back. Let the past be the past. Since he is imprisoned, then keep him locked up. Once your father is settled, I will go to Jinling to find your mother."
"Ah? Father is fine now, why don't you announce it to the world and stay in Yujing? I don't want to be the emperor, father..."
Emperor Yuanwu raised his beard. "Don't talk nonsense. How can you change the ruler of a country? Just think of your father as dead. With Shao Lan by your side, your father is relieved. Well, it's getting late. You should go back and rest. Your father is tired."
Zhao Yan said goodbye to Emperor Yuanwu and followed Yong Shaolan to the Purple Palace. As he walked, Zhao Yan wiped away his tears, but he was not sad, he was just too happy - he burst into laughter while crying.
Yong Shaolan followed the young man with a heavy heart.
"Brother Lan, I'm really happy today!"
Yong Shaolan: “…”
Yong Shaolan slowed down his pace. Zhao Yan looked back at him, a smile on his face, as he walked backwards, step by step. "I once had a very long dream. In the dream, I had no parents. I wore tattered clothes as a child and was disliked by everyone. When I grew up, I wanted to go to school and love myself, so I went out to work and study. I worked as a waiter in a restaurant and washed dishes in the kitchen. When my classmates went out to play, I worked non-stop doing all kinds of odd jobs. In the end, when I had saved enough money, I was hit by a car... uh, a carriage, and died instantly."
"But now, my parents are both here, I don't have to worry about food and drink, and I have such a handsome husband. Life is so easy~" Zhao Yan laughed a few times, thinking of the setting that the protagonists of some novels always want to go home. In fact, he also wanted to go back to college at first, but now he doesn't want to do it at all. He has family, love, and career. After going back, he will become a lonely man again. The tuition for college is quite high. After graduation, he will work hard and pay off the student loan. There is no hope in life.
Yong Shaolan: “…”
Yong Shaolan was about to say something, but seeing how happy Zhao Yan was today, he swallowed it back, "Really? There's one thing you haven't done yet."
Zhao Yan tilted his head and looked at Yong Shaolan: "Are you going to be crowned queen?"
Yong Shaolan's eyes darkened and he said "hmm" lightly.
"..." He was obviously playing tricks on himself, yet he still had the nerve to bring it up. Zhao Yan turned around, leaving his back to Yong Shaolan: "There's no rush for this matter. I'm still young, and you..."
Zhao Yan's mind suddenly twitched, and he suddenly realized that he didn't seem to know how old Yong Shaolan was, so he coughed twice strategically: "Ahem, you are young too, you should focus on your work, and you can put off getting married."
Yong Shaolan followed the young man and asked coldly, "Zhao Yan, how old am I?"
"...Uh uh uh" Zhao Yan scratched his head and slowly turned his gaze to Yong Shaolan, "Oh, I'm so tired, I have to go back to sleep!"
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The author has something to say: After some consideration, I decided to leave the main text here. There are still a lot of miscellaneous things to be written later, so I will write them in the extra chapters, which will not affect the subscription rate of the readers.
Thank you, reader baby, for your company along the way. Lao Han bows.
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