Chapter 065 Climbing into bed at midnight

"I'm hot. You're like a big heater. If you hold me, I won't be able to sleep." Rong Yin stated the facts and made sense to prove that he was not being unreasonable.

Zong Zhengxiao asked, "Is it okay if I don't sleep next to you and put a blanket between us?"

Rong Yin glanced at him and said, "No, you will definitely crawl over here in the middle of the night. It's not like you don't remember what position we are in every day after waking up."

No matter how they fell asleep the night before, the next morning they would be like vines growing together, entangled with each other and inseparable.

No one knew who started it first or if they both did it together, but Rong Yin refused to admit that she had sneaked into Zong Zheng Xiao's arms in the middle of the night. All of it was done by Zong Zheng Xiao.

Zong Zhengxiao said aggrievedly: "Is it really that hot? It wasn't like this last year."

Rong Yin said, "Last summer, we didn't sleep in each other's arms, and I was afraid of heat in my original world. Now that my body has merged with my original body, I naturally brought its nature with me."

"How about putting in a few more ice basins?"

"It's no use. You can't put the ice basin between us."

Hearing this, Zong Zhengxiao knew that sleeping in separate beds was inevitable. He could only sigh and ask, "How many days do we have to be separated?"

Rong Yin: "Maybe we have to wait until the weather cools down."

Zong Zhengxiao: “…”

It will take at least two months, and I feel like I'd rather die than live.

Although the two of them slept in separate beds, they did not have separate rooms. They just placed a smaller soft couch next to the original bed.

Since it was Rong Yin who suggested sleeping in separate beds, he volunteered to sleep on the soft couch, but was rejected by Zong Zhengxiao.

Rong Yin was a restless sleeper, and the couch was a little too small for him, so he might accidentally turn over and fall off.

In the middle of the night, Zong Zhengxiao, who hadn't experienced sleeping alone for a long time, couldn't sleep, but Rong Yin, who was sitting next to him, was breathing evenly, and it was obvious that he had gone to meet Zhou Gong.

Alas, we are in the same situation but have different fates.

After a few more hours, the temperature dropped, and with the ice basin in the house taking effect, Zong Zheng Xiao felt that the temperature he felt was almost the same as mid-autumn.

Because of his biological clock, he slowly fell into sleep.

In his sleep, Zong Zhengxiao, who was conscientiously handling government affairs, was suddenly pinned down by several strong men whose faces could not be seen. Then someone pressed a huge rock on his chest and raised a hammer, shouting loudly: "The emperor himself is performing a chest-breaking rock! Don't miss it if you pass by! Come and see it!"

The suffocating feeling in his chest woke Zong Zheng Xiao up. He squinted his eyes and saw in the dim light that Rong Yin had climbed onto the couch at some point and curled up on top of him.

No wonder he had this dream, it turned out that there really was a "huge rock" in reality that was about to crush him to death.

"Ayin?" Zong Zhengxiao thought he was awake and called out softly.

Rong Yin was probably in a half-asleep state. When he heard Zong Zheng Xiao's voice, he subconsciously said "hmm".

"Why are you here instead of staying in your bed?" Zong Zhengxiao said helplessly.

Rong Yin let out a long breath and hummed: "I want to sleep with Zong Zheng Xiao..."

Zong Zheng Xiao helped him change his position, then leaned over and held him in his arms, saying, "You said you were hot, so you want to sleep in a separate bed from me?"

Rong Yin clutched Zong Zhengxiao's clothes, buried her face in his arms, and said in a muffled voice: "Rong Yin can't do it without Zong Zhengxiao..."

Zong Zhengxiao was overjoyed by these words. All the depression he had felt all night disappeared instantly. He lowered his head and kissed Rong Yin on the top of his head: "I hope you will remember what you said when you wake up in the morning."

This time Rong Yin was completely asleep and did not respond.

The next day, when the sun was already shining brightly, Rong Yin finally sat up dazedly and found himself on Zong Zhengxiao's couch. He was completely stunned.

Wasn't he sleeping on the bed? When did he come here? Did Zong Zhengxiao carry him here?

When Zong Zhengxiao came back, Rong Yin immediately asked him, and Zong Zhengxiao told him everything that happened last night.

He said in a resentful tone: "You really don't remember anything."

Rong Yin felt embarrassed and guilty for having done such a thing and said such a thing last night: "Not tonight."

Zong Zhengxiao leaned over him, stared into his eyes and asked, "What if you do this again tonight?"

Rong Yin thought, so what, can it destroy my humanitarianism?

But Zong Zhengxiao would not let him off so easily, and said directly for him: "If you climb into my bed again in the middle of the night, we will cancel the separate beds. It will all be the same in the end anyway."

Seeing that Zong Zheng Xiao would not stop unless she agreed, Rong Yin could only nod in agreement.

So that night, Rong Yin tied one of his hands to the bedpost with a cloth strip. This was a battle that involved his dignity.

then……

Then in the middle of the night, he dignifiedly untied the cloth strips himself, and in a daze, he rode on Zong Zheng Xiao, then naturally lay down, using him as a pillow and mattress.

Zong Zhengxiao hadn't slept at all, he was just waiting for him to come over, and upon seeing this he immediately slapped him on the butt a few times to wake him up.

"The facts are right in front of you. You can't make excuses." Zong Zhengxiao rested his head on his arms and looked at Rong Yin leisurely.

Rong Yin woke up, but not completely. He accepted the fact that he did climb onto Zong Zheng Xiao's bed in the middle of the night, but he didn't know how to react. He could only instinctively reach out to Zong Zheng Xiao: "Hold me, sleep."

Zong Zheng Xiao endured it and did not move.

Rong Yin got up in a bad mood, his mouth curled up, and his eyes turned red in an instant.

"Bad guy, Zong Zheng Xiao, you won't let me sleep. I hate you."

Zong Zheng Xiao: "...Is this my fault?"

Rong Yin said pitifully, "I'm so sleepy. I need to go to sleep."

Zong Zhengxiao: “…”

He compromised and reached out to hold Rong Yin in his arms. Rong Yin buried her face in his shoulder and her voice became happy again.

"My husband is the best. I love him."

Zong Zhengxiao carried Rong Yin back to the bed, not understanding what was going on: "What does my husband mean?"

Rong Yin: “zzzz~”

"..." Zong Zhengxiao, "You are truly my little ancestor."

As he spoke, he pulled up the thin blanket and covered their waists, keeping everything cool except their stomachs.

The next day, Zong Zhengxiao came back early and asked Rong Yin, "You called me husband last night. What does husband mean?"

"Puff!" Rong Yin spat out a mouthful of ice fruit tea and almost choked herself.

"Did I really call you that last night?" Rong Yin couldn't believe it.

Zong Zheng Xiao: "How would I know this title if you didn't call me, so what does it mean?"

Rong Yin glanced around: "It doesn't mean anything, it's just an ordinary name."

Zong Zhengxiao suddenly said to Rong Yin: "Husband."

"Puff... cough cough cough..." Rong Yin, who originally wanted to drink some fruit tea to suppress his shock, was really choked this time.

Zong Zhengxiao confirmed: "This must not be an ordinary title. Let me think about it. Since you are so evasive, it must mean something very intimate. Considering our relationship, if I am not mistaken, it should mean the same thing as 'husband'."

Rong Yin didn't say anything, and Zong Zhengxiao knew that he had guessed right.

Zong Zhengxiao chuckled: "Your titles are quite interesting. Husband can correspond to wife, so what does husband correspond to?"

"I don't know." Rong Yin answered in almost seconds.

Rong Yin didn't know why. When he was awake, he could call Zong Zheng Xiao "husband", "baby", "brother" and other names without blushing or beating his heart. But he just couldn't say the word "husband" no matter what.

Zong Zhengxiao held the man in front of him, clamped his chin, stared into his eyes, and said word by word: "Really don't know?"

Rong Yin looked aside subconsciously: "I don't know."

The two of them were in a stalemate. Zong Zhengxiao insisted on knowing the answer, but Rong Yin was unwilling to answer.

After a long while, Zong Zhengxiao was the first to give up.

"Forget it. If you don't want to tell me, I won't force you."

Rong Yin was suspicious. When did Zong Zheng Xiao become so kind?

Facts have proved that Zong Zhengxiao is not a kind person.

Because that night, he deliberately delayed the time of going back to sleep with Rong Yin for a day, waiting for Rong Yin to climb into bed again in the middle of the night, and then asked softly: "You call me husband, what should I call you?"

Rong Yin: "...Wife."

Looking at his expression, Zong Zhengxiao raised his eyebrows: "You are awake."

Rong Yin: “…”

It was actually discovered!

Zong Zheng Xiao: "You knew I would ask you tonight, so why did you just pretend to be stupid and take the opportunity to answer? Then why didn't you tell me during the day?"

Rong Yin lowered her head and rubbed the corner of her clothes with her fingers: "That's different."

Zong Zhengxiao leaned close to Rong Yin's ear and whispered, "What's the difference, wife?"

As soon as the last two words came out, Rong Yin suddenly shuddered all over and the hairs on his body stood up.

Zong Zhengxiao lowered his head and saw the little guy with a swollen voice. He was a little surprised: "You like this title?"

Rong Yin blushed and twisted her body, bit her fingers, lowered her eyes and whispered, "Because, it was you who shouted."

Zong Zhengxiao's breath was choked, and the next second, he held Rong Yin's face and kissed her hard.

Rong Yin raised her arms and hugged his neck, responding shyly.

Finally, the two of them stumbled back to the big bed. Zong Zhengxiao used Rong Yin's legs to face him. Every time he bumped into her, he stared into her eyes and didn't allow him to look away.

At the critical moment, he pinched Rong Yin's vital points and forced him to shout that name to him.

Rong Yin's voice was already filled with tears. He held Zong Zheng Xiao's wrist, tears in his eyes, and begged him to let him go.

"Scream quickly." Zong Zhengxiao said as he rubbed it again with his fingers.

Rong Yin cried out in surprise, and after panting for a long time, she came back to her senses and called him with sobs, "Husband..."

Before he finished speaking, Zong Zhengxiao bit his lips again and called out, "Ayin, my wife."

They both saw a white light at the same time, and then they hugged each other, sweating profusely.

From this moment on, these two words also became sensitive words for Zong Zhengxiao.

吃飽喝足，宗政逍抱着汗淋淋又昏昏欲睡的戎音去水池裏泡了一會兒，然後給他擦幹淨身體，摟着他在幹燥的軟榻上擠在一起一同睡去。

早晨四喜吩咐宮人收拾大床的被褥，在心裏啧啧：天幹物燥，兩位主子的火氣都很大嘛。

因為這次意外，戎音的分床計劃宣告失敗。

重新跟戎音躺一個被窩後，宗政逍給自己下了心理暗示，每晚都要等氣溫降了一些，他才會把戎音摟進懷裏。

其實戎音之前沒說錯，他倆一起睡的時候，都是宗政逍半夜去抱他的。

但戎音也早就習慣了被宗政逍抱着睡，所以分開後，半夜才會主動去找他。

這天早朝，宗政逍當着文武百官的面宣布了肥料的存在，并且拿出了皇莊的試種證明，每畝用了肥料的田，糧食産量都得到了顯著的提升。

宗政逍的下一步計劃是，從京城開始，逐步推廣肥料的使用。

早就知情的功臣集團紛紛站出來恭維宗政逍，說他為大晟找到了肥田良方，這是功在千秋的偉業。

眼見着宗政逍被他們越捧越高，世家不樂意了，站出來道：“陛下，土地對百姓的重要性不言而喻，您所說的肥料只試種了一輪，并且只在皇莊之內，萬一肥料不适合其它地方的土地，或者用到一半出了問題，那百姓一年的辛苦就白費了，所以推廣一事，還請陛下三思。”

宗政逍明白他們就是沒事找事，即便不是肥料，哪怕自己說今天天氣真好，他們也要出來反駁一下說臣不這樣覺得，純粹就是為了反對而反對，宗政逍都懶得搭理。

功臣集團的人這時候出來說話了，在事實對自己有利的前提下，他們才不慣着這些蠢貨。

“李大人，都有成功案例在前了，你還在這裏唱衰，究竟是何居心？你是耳聾了還是假裝沒聽見，陛下說的是逐步推廣，而不是要求全國一年之內都用上肥料。陛下考慮周全，之所以這麽做，不就是害怕出現你所說的這個問題嗎？”

李大人梗着脖子道：“臣覺得最好還是多試種幾輪再推廣，這樣才比較穩妥。”

那人又道：“你這是不信任陛下的決策？”

李大人連忙裝無辜：“你少污蔑人，陛下，臣絕無此意。”

宗政逍倒是很淡定：“李愛卿不想用肥料就不用吧。”

功臣集團的人以為宗政逍是想延遲肥料推廣，正欲開口勸阻，宗政逍卻又接着道：“謹慎是好事，值得鼓勵，諸位愛卿也有責任幫助李愛卿維持住這種謹慎，等肥料推廣開後，若是有人發現李愛卿家的地用了這種肥料，立即來上報給朕，到時候朕絕對重重有賞，至于李愛卿嘛，就治他個欺君之罪吧。”

宗政逍說這話時定定地看着李家主，臉上還帶着笑，但這份笑意卻未達眼底。

李家主被宗政逍看得心肝一顫，立即跪下，解釋道：“臣只是為百姓考慮，建議多試種幾次再推廣，并沒有否認肥料的作用，也不是拒絕使用肥料。”

宗政逍像是沒聽見李家主的話，他笑眯眯地看向衆位大臣，“李愛卿一片苦心，願意放棄使用肥料，好讓大家能清晰地看出用了肥料的地和不用肥料的地會有什麽區別，如此寬闊的胸懷，值得大家學習和稱贊啊。”

功臣集團的人趕緊出來應和：“陛下說得對，李大人的用心天地可鑒，為了配合李大人，臣願意給家裏所有地都用上肥料，以供對比。”

其他人也跟着齊聲道：“臣亦願意！”

宗政逍終于露出了真心實意的笑容：“大晟能有李愛卿和諸位這樣的賢良忠臣，何談不能繁榮昌盛！”

諸臣：“陛下聖明。”

李家主傻眼了，你們自顧自就決定了，都不聽我的意見嗎？

“陛下……”他剛開口要辯解，宗政逍直接打斷了他，“李愛卿不必自謙，你擔得上賢良二字，你看，如今你願意放棄使用肥料，其他愛卿願意用自己的地試種，這不正好符合你的訴求了嗎？也不用感謝朕，聆聽臣子建議并給出相應解決對策，是朕的本職所在。”

功臣集團笑眯眯地再次道：“陛下聖明！”

李大人掙紮的話語就那麽被堵了回去，事情也蓋棺定論了，他成了殺雞儆猴裏的那只雞，用來警告其他對推廣肥料一事有異議的大臣，也表現出了宗政逍此次行動的決心。

李大人看向身後的同夥，沒一個人出來幫他說話。

“他們之間的聯盟那麽不牢靠？出來幫忙說句話都不肯啊？”

回到銀鲛園，宗政逍将朝堂上發生的一切都告訴了戎音，戎音聽完後只能感嘆世家聯盟的脆弱。

宗政逍道：“他們本就是競争關系，只是為了對付我，暫時合作而已，不然之前他們就不會舍棄賀家了，而且他們大概也沒猜到我這次态度會那麽強硬，本來只打算膈應我一下，沒想到搬起石頭砸了自己的腳。”

戎音蹙眉：“他們就不擔心唇亡齒寒？”

“自然是擔心的，可自己的利益最重要，他們之間只有上位者對下位者的驅使，并沒有精誠合作跟舍己為人，因為他們都太了解對方，害怕來自背後的刀子。”

世家和世家之間有差距，但沒有階級的區別，強和弱的轉換遠沒有改朝換代那麽艱難，想要強大起來，吃掉弱者就行了。

賀家一朝傾覆就是最好的例子，其餘世家都在期待同夥成為賀家，又害怕成為賀家的是自己。

他們永遠不可能把後背交付給對方。

戎音幸災樂禍：“李老頭這會兒怕是已經要被氣炸了。”

宗政逍喝了口冰水，微笑：“或許吧。”

如他們所料，李家主現在的确是快被氣死了。

雖然他們總是為了反對而反對，但看看宗政逍給出的數據，那可是能讓糧食産量翻倍的肥料，試問誰能不心動？

可就因為自己站出來說了幾句話，就被迫失去了使用肥料的資格，這會造成多大的損失，李家主都不敢想。

晚上三位家主聚在一處，李家主不說話，只悶頭喝酒，另外兩人清楚他的不滿，但也假裝不知。

其實雖然宗政逍明面上不許李家用肥料，但他也可以私底下悄悄用，只要不被發現就行了。

不過說是這麽說，做起來就沒那麽簡單了，宗政逍的人為了抓到李家的把柄，肯定會嚴格監視李家，要在這種情況下搞小動作，談何容易？

為了緩解僵硬的氛圍，陳家主開口道：“小皇帝在皇莊試用肥料的事，我們居然一點不知情，看來還需要加強監視啊。”

崔家主淡淡地道：“之前的面包和奶茶也是他那邊主動透露出消息後，我們這邊才知道的，看來小皇帝瞞着我們的，可不止這一件事。”

陳家主疑惑：“這小皇帝怎麽跟突然開竅了似的，前幾年也沒見他有那麽多鬼主意啊。”

崔家主垂眸盯着茶杯，聞言眼裏忽然閃過一抹淩厲，不過轉瞬即逝，他很快又恢複了那副波瀾不驚的表情。

“就按你的意思來吧，加強監視，別再做個睜眼瞎了，省得被人家算計了都不知道。”

陳家主點了點頭。

見他們全程都沒有要為自己出主意的意思，李家主冷笑一聲，道：“那這件事就麻煩兩位大人了，如今下官自身難保，怕是無暇顧及。”

兩人也明白李家主此時心裏的委屈和憤怒，便都默認了他的話。

肥料的消息被層層傳播了下去，京城附近的百姓最先收到通知，聽說用了肥料，糧食産量能翻倍，一開始大家都是不怎麽相信的。

畢竟自己祖祖輩輩種了那麽多年的地，都沒遇見過這種好事，他們害怕那個所謂的肥料不靠譜。

他們不相信，上頭的官員也不勉強，只把各村的村長叫了過去，告訴他們肥料是皇上在皇莊做過試驗，确定有用才宣告天下的，那些達官貴人不僅搶着用，還打算每個莊子每塊地都用上呢。

百姓們要是不放心，可以先等別人用，或者自己只拿出一小部分地來嘗試，以後出了結果，大家有目共睹。

只是到時候要是看見別人家豐收，自己家照舊，可別後悔。

村長回去轉述了上頭的意思，聽見不是要求大家必須要用，本來強烈拒絕的村民反而犯起了嘀咕。

“皇帝老爺總不會騙咱們吧？百姓種不出糧食，對他也沒好處。”

“就是就是，而且城裏人都說，皇帝老爺好着呢，上次俺到城裏賣菜，去冰鋪領的免費冰，好像就是皇帝老爺用自己的錢買來送給老百姓的。”

“那些大官天天跟皇上見面，消息肯定比咱們靈通，既然他們都敢用肥料，那肥料肯定是沒問題的。”

“要不，俺家先拿兩畝旱地來試試吧。”

“我家打算出三畝。”

"I have eaten free ice cream sent by the emperor many times. I believe him. I will use fertilizer on both my dry land and paddy fields!"

"Use all? Zhao Laoer, are you crazy?"

Similar conversations occurred in most villages near the capital. Because of the leading role taken by the officials and Zong Zhengxiao's growing reputation, many people were tempted out of trust in their superiors.

After the village chief learned the composting technique and taught it to the whole village, the people pooled their money together to buy gypsum for composting. The gypsum merchant said that if the quantity was large, he could charge a few less coins per portion.

As for the gypsum business, Zong Zhengxiao naturally handed it over to his people.

Because they knew in advance that they would promote the use of fertilizers, Zong Zhengxiao's people had already prepared a large amount of gypsum. This would prevent the price of gypsum from skyrocketing and dampening the enthusiasm of the people, stabilize the market price, and make a small profit. Why not do it?

Even if the noble family wanted to do this business, it would be too late at least this year.

As people responded enthusiastically to composting, the Mid-Autumn Festival came quietly without them noticing.

The night before, Zong Zhengxiao asked Rong Yin if she wanted to go to the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet with him.

Rong Yin shook her head: "No, it's boring."

Zong Zhengxiao didn't force him: "Okay, then I'll try to come back as soon as possible."

"Actually, there's no need to come back early." Rong Yin said in a low voice.

Zong Zheng Xiao was puzzled and a little aggrieved: "Why, don't you miss me?"