Chapter 131 Settlement

After the new emperor ascended the throne, he was pushed into the water by the treasonous Sui'an Hou on the night he went on a secret tour to Lin'an City in the south of the Yangtze River.

When Sui Xun received the news, he nearly passed out.

His hands were shaking as he asked, "Where is Wang-Wang Gui? Where is he now?"

Jun Jingxing said expressionlessly, "Your Majesty said he was bold and reckless, so he took the Marquis away to discipline him."

Sui Xun: “…”

Sui'an Hou, who had nearly committed the crime of regicide, was now in a small garden building in the center of the lake, unable to tell east from west, south from north.

He had a physique that made him easily drunk, and once he arrived at a warm place, the alcohol in his bones was aroused again, making him so dizzy that he couldn't even count his fingers.

Duan Mingchong changed his wet clothes in the inner room. His long, undried hair fell on his shoulders, still dripping with water.

Although it was spring, the lake water was still freezing cold. Duan Mingchong tried hard to stop his trembling hands and walked out without changing his expression.

Sui Yan was curled up on the small couch, mumbling something to himself.

Duan Mingchong had never seen Sui Yan drunk before, but this time, he found it somewhat novel, and the resentment he had just felt for being thrown into the water also disappeared.

Duan Mingchong walked up to him, sat beside him, and said softly, "Ayan."

Sui Yan turned his head and looked at him blankly. After a long while, he asked in confusion, "Your Highness?"

Duan Mingchong, who had already ascended the throne, did not correct his address, but smiled even more gently: "It's me, I'm here to pick you up."

Sui Yan said, "Pah."

Duan Mingchong: “…”

Duan Mingchong could no longer keep the smile on his face.

After Sui Yan finished spitting, he immediately tried to crawl down, not wanting to be in the same room with this man who couldn't even afford a thousand gold coins.

Duan Mingchong grabbed him back, held his face and said, "Ayan, look at me."

Sui Yan didn't have much ability to distinguish, and was stunned for a moment before he tried to open his eyes wide and look at him obediently.

Duan Mingchong smelled the faint aroma of wine, and looking at Sui Yan's face so close to him, he suddenly felt moved. He raised his arms, put them around Sui Yan's back, and pulled him into his arms.

In three years, Duan Mingchong has grown into a real man, calm, elegant, and majestic. He held Sui Yan in his arms and said softly, "Marquis Sui An, what is your intention in trying to harm the new emperor?"

Sui Yan still looked up and listened to him, staring at Duan Mingchong's face. Hearing this, he asked in surprise, "To murder the new emperor? Who?"

Duan Mingchong said: "You, you pushed me into the water just now."

Sui Yan tried hard to think about it, but couldn't figure it out, so he could only mumble, "Yes, right..."

Duan Mingchong's aura made Sui Yan feel safe instinctively. He leaned into Duan Mingchong's arms and rubbed against him. Suddenly he said, "Then why aren't you wet? Didn't you fall into the water?"

Sui Yan was confused now, and Duan Mingchong's homesickness had been thrown into the water by that push, so he was happy to chat and fool around with him.

"I changed my clothes, otherwise how can I hug you?"

If the normal Sui Yan had heard such straightforward love words, his ears would have blushed long ago, but now his mind was in a mess and he couldn't tell right from wrong.

Sui Yan tilted his head, reached out and touched Duan Mingchong's clothes, and said, "Your clothes are dry, which means you didn't fall into the water, and Sui Anhou didn't push you."

Duan Mingchong: “…”

Very good, there is nothing wrong with the logic.

Sui Yan sat up from Duan Mingchong's arms, holding up his hands, and stared at Duan Mingchong. Suddenly, he reached out and gently stroked Duan Mingchong's lips.

Duan Mingchong only felt a tingling sensation in his head where Sui Yan had touched, which almost made him shiver.

Sui Yan looked for a long time before he said vaguely, "It seems there is still water here."

Duan Mingchong paused for a moment, and then he saw Sui Yanyi raised his hands to hold his shoulders, and his lips came up to block his lips.

Duan Mingchong was stunned for only a moment, then he immediately took the initiative, hugged Sui Yan, and turned over to press on him.

Sui Yan's clothes were torn apart in the chaos, revealing half of his shoulder. Duan Mingchong only glanced at him, and a dark color quickly surged in his eyes.

In his arms was the person he had been thinking about day and night for three years, lying so gently beneath him, within his reach.

Duan Mingchong panted slightly and parted his lips, looking at Sui Yan staring at him absent-mindedly, and he almost instantly had an inappropriate reaction.

Sui Yan's eyes were sparkling, and he didn't remember anything at all. Duan Mingchong didn't want to take advantage of him, so he took a few deep breaths and said, "Ayan, you get up first..."

Sui Yan rubbed against him without knowing whether to live or die, and called in a soft voice: "Your Highness."

Duan Mingchong: “…”

Duan Mingchong repeated "He hasn't forgiven you yet" to himself dozens of times before he opened his eyes. Just as he was about to use all his willpower to push Sui Yan away, he saw him tilt his head and fall asleep on his shoulder.

Duan Mingchong: “…”

Duan Mingchong began to ponder whether this test was the first difficulty in getting Sui Yan back.

Sui Yan woke up from a hangover, held his head in agony and rolled around on the couch twice before he opened his eyes tiredly.

It took him a while to focus his gaze, and he was directly facing Duan Mingchong's handsome face.

Sui Yan: “…”

Sui Yan: “Ahhhh!”

Sui Yan screamed in fear, exerted force on his feet, and kicked towards Duan Mingchong.

Duan Mingchong was almost squeezed to the edge of the bed by Sui Yan, who was restless in sleep. Suddenly, he was kicked and turned over and fell off the couch.

With a clang.

Duan Mingchong: “…”

Sui Yan was very frightened. Anyone who wakes up early in the morning and sees someone who is thousands of miles away lying next to his pillow would be so frightened that his heart would jump out of his chest.

Sui Yan was horrified: "You...you...you...why are you here?!"

Duan Mingchong stood up from the ground with a pale face, sat on the couch, and comforted himself in his heart: This is the second difficulty.

He tilted his head and coughed, his voice a little hoarse: "Ayan, I'm here to take you back to Beijing."

Sui Yan was stunned for a moment, then said seriously, "Bah you."

Duan Mingchong: “…”

Duan Mingchong was not sure for a moment whether Shun Yan remembered what happened last night, otherwise why would he say the same thing.

Duan Mingchong's throat was a little itchy, but he didn't care. He grabbed Sui Yan's hand and clasped it in his palm, saying, "I'm sorry about what happened to Ah Yan back then. I was too reckless, but I had no choice. Can you forgive me this time?"

Sui Yan frowned and retracted his hand, saying coldly: "Your Highness, there is no need... Oh, I said it wrong, I should call you Your Majesty now. Your Majesty is of noble status, there is no need to comfort a small person like me."

The implication is, apology? Not accepted.

Duan Mingchong didn't expect Sui Yan to forgive him immediately. He was very patient and smiled with his eyes tilted: "You are in much better spirits than in the past few years."

Sui Yan thought to himself, isn’t this nonsense? He soaks in medicine jars every day, how can he not be healthy?

Sui Yan ignored him.

Duan Mingchong tilted his head and coughed again, this time it was particularly severe.

Sui Yan originally wanted to pretend that he didn't see it, but Duan Mingchong kept coughing from time to time and looked uncomfortable, so he felt a little reluctant.

After hesitating for a moment, Sui Yan frowned and asked, "Are you sick?"

Duan Mingchong immediately seized the opportunity and said, as if he was about to say something, "Last night... someone pushed me into the water..."

According to the friendship between the two, Sui Yan's first reaction would definitely be worry, and then he would angrily ask who pushed him into the water. Then Duan Mingchong could go along with it and say it was you, making Sui Yan feel guilty.

To promote something, you must first suppress it. This is very good.

Duan Mingchong was waiting expectantly for Sui Yan to ask questions, but who knew...

“Hahaha, you were pushed into the water? Hahaha, the king of a country!” Sui Yan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter and almost fell off the bed. Tears came out of his eyes from laughing, “I was actually pushed into the water, hahaha Duan Mingchong, ah Duan Mingchong, you still have this day... cough cough cough!”

He laughed so hard that he started coughing and tears came out.

Duan Mingchong: “…”

Duan Mingchong looked around to see if his considerate A'yan had been replaced by someone else.

Sui Yan laughed enough, wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, and forced himself to hold back his laughter, saying: "Which hero recommended this? Tell me the name quickly, and I will write a calligraphy on it myself and frame it and give it to him."

Duan Mingchong: “…”

Duan Mingchong had a blank expression on his face, thinking the third thought.

Sui Yan couldn't stop laughing, pushed him and said, "Tell me quickly, who is it?"

Duan Mingchong said: "You."

Sui Yan: “…”

Sui Yan's smile froze.

There is no guilt, only a guilty conscience.

Sui Yan asked, "What are you doing? Why don't I remember this happening? Are you deliberately lying to me?"

He had been in Jiangnan for so long that even the tone of his voice had become soft. As he spoke, he sneaked under the bed, trying to escape when no one was paying attention.

Duan Mingchong just looked at him expressionlessly.

Sui Yan smiled at Duan Mingchong, and while grabbing his clothes and shoes on the ground, he ran out. The candied milk hidden in his pocket spilled all over the floor.

Sui Yan didn't care and rushed out quickly.

Duan Mingchong did not chase after him. He still sat on the couch, staring at the door.

After a while, Sui Yan came back in tattered clothes.

Duan Mingchong smiled: "Why don't you leave?"

Sui Yan's face was ashen. He picked up a handful of preserved honey from the ground and sprinkled it on Duan Mingchong like a fairy scattering flowers. Then he said angrily: "This is the center of the lake! You took away all the boats, where should I go? Jump into the lake!"

Duan Mingchong extended his hand to him and said with a smile, "Come here."

Sui Yan sneered, lifted his skirt and sat directly on the blanket on the ground, hooked his finger at him provocatively, and said arrogantly: "Come here."

Duan Mingchong: “…”

Duan Mingchong smiled helplessly and had to get up and walk away.

There were beds and soft chairs available, but he refused to sit and insisted on sitting on the floor. Fortunately, the small house in the middle of the lake was luxurious, and even the floor was covered with a thick blanket, so he didn't feel cold.

Duan Mingchong walked over to him and sat down, smiling softly: "Ayan, I..."

Sui Yan didn't wait for him to finish, he stretched out his hand and said, "One thousand gold."

Duan Mingchong: “…”

"What?"

Sui Yan glanced at him with disdain: "You are a person who doesn't keep his word, but why do you even plan to refuse to pay back the money you owe to others?"

Duan Mingchong didn't quite understand, so he humbly asked, "When did I ever owe you money?"

Sui Yan crossed his legs, intending to talk to him seriously.

"Did you tell me a few years ago that you should take good care of me in the capital?"

Duan Mingchong fell silent.

"Let me think about what you said at that time."

Sui Yan tilted his head and pretended to think for a while, then he put on a serious face, imitated Duan Mingchong's expression and tone at that time, and said in a low voice: "I will pay you back for your promise."

Duan Mingchong: “…”

Sui Yan: "Bah, don't say anything now, just pay me back!"

Seeing that Sui Yan finally wanted to talk to him about what happened back then, Duan Mingchong immediately seized the opportunity, grabbed Sui Yan's hand, and said, "I had no choice but to let you leave the capital back then. Ah Yan, please trust me again this time."

Sui Yan looked at him for a long while, then suddenly smiled: "I believe you?"

Duan Mingchong nodded.

Sui Yan's face suddenly darkened again and he said, "It's just a dream."

Duan Mingchong: “…”

Sui Yan patted the blanket and said, "Pay back the money quickly, pay back quickly, why are you so slow? Are you not a man?"

Duan Mingchong hesitated for a moment before he said, "If I pay you back, will you forgive me?"

Sui Yan was almost laughing out of anger, and decided not to waste any more time and just settle the bill.

"Think carefully again, what else did I say back then?"

Duan Mingchong immediately said, "You said you love me many times."

Sui Yan: “…”

Sui Yan looked at him in disbelief, wondering if this man had become thicker-skinned after moving from a crown prince to an emperor?

Sui Yan took a deep breath and counted with him on his fingers.

"First, a promise is worth a thousand gold. You didn't keep your promise. Give me a thousand gold first."

Duan Mingchong said: "I gave it to you three years ago."

Sui Yan was so angry that he almost kicked him: "Jin!"

Duan Mingchong then stopped talking.

"Second, I said if you leave me, I will never talk to you again."

Duan Mingchong quickly said, "But you are still talking to me now, which means you are not really angry."

The new emperor was very sure that Sui Yan was just acting coquettishly.

Sui Yan: “…”

Sui Yan looked at him incredulously and said, "I just want to get my money back. After getting a thousand gold coins, why would I care about a ungrateful person like you?"

Duan Mingchong: “…”

Duan Mingchong was determined not to pay back the money even if he died.

"Third, I also said that the longer you leave me alone next time, the longer we won't see each other." Sui Yan stretched out three fingers and shook them, saying, "So, come and pick me up in three years."

When he said this, Duan Mingchong actually laughed.

Sui Yan wondered if he was frightened and said, "What are you laughing at?"

Duan Mingchong said: "I came to Jiangnan in the early summer of last year."

Sui Yan was stunned for a moment: "So?"

Duan Mingchong said: "I saw you once from a distance at that time."

Sui Yan had no memory of it and asked, "Why didn't I see you?"

Duan Mingchong naturally hid it on purpose so that Sui Yan wouldn't see it, because he was afraid that after the two met, he would take Sui Yan back to Beijing regardless of everything.

Duan Mingchong was like a calculating iron rooster, and he calculated in detail for Sui Yan: "According to what you said, I will leave you alone for a year and a half. After we met once, it has been exactly a year and a half now."

Sui Yan: “…”

Duan Mingchong smiled more gently: "The timing is just right, Ayan."

Sui Yan: “…”

Sui Yan couldn't bear it any longer and kicked Duan Mingchong on the knee.