Chapter 71: The Bet
Chu Jiubian brought in the food tray and placed it on the table in the inner room, then sat down in a spot where he could see the person on the bed at a glance.
Because Qin Xiao was away for a while, and Qin Chaoyang was in charge of installing a floor heating system in the west courtyard, the house has been unoccupied for two days and is still quite warm.
Chu Jiubian sat at the dining table, took a sip of tea, and then slowly ate his meal.
He ate very quietly, but it was still somewhat noticeable in the quiet room.
The person on the bed trembled slightly with their eyelashes and fingertips, but they couldn't open their eyes.
Chu Jiubian had spent two whole days in the Divine Realm, barely closing his eyes. Now, a belated drowsiness was washing over him, and he almost buried his head in his bowl while eating, completely unaware of this subtle movement.
He managed to eat two more bites, then rinsed his mouth and couldn't eat anymore.
Chu Jiubian was so sleepy that he could barely keep his eyes open, and even his mind was starting to go blank.
He didn't have the energy to deal with anyone else right now, so he decided to take a nap first and call Qin Chaoyang and the little emperor over when he woke up.
So he looked around the room and then lay down on the soft couch by the window.
However, before going to sleep, he didn't forget to say in his mind: "System, help me monitor Qin Xiao's vital signs, wake me up if there is a problem."
[Okay, host.] The system has made a fortune these past two days, so it won't try to trick the host over such trivial matters anymore.
Chu Jiubian fell into a deep sleep, even more completely than a coma.
The person on the bed finally managed to open their eyes after more than ten minutes, but their vision was still somewhat unfocused and cloudy.
After a few breaths, Qin Xiao finally regained some control and slowly turned his head to look at the window.
Dark-colored cushions covered the soft couch by the window, where Qin Xiao usually sat to drink tea and read books.
It was not as long as a bed, so Chu Jiubian could not even straighten his legs after lying down. He curled up into a ball, and his long silver hair was spread over his body like a blanket.
Qin Xiao blinked, and soon after, he couldn't hold on any longer and fell into a deep sleep again, without even uttering a word.
==
The fact that Qin Xiao was seriously injured could not be kept secret. When Chu Jiubian ordered the sealing off of the west courtyard of Yangxin Hall, the news had already spread like wildfire.
The reactions from all sides were naturally different.
But it's easy to imagine that few people would hope that Qin Xiao could come back to life.
However, with Chu Jiubian, this "god," around, everyone felt that Qin Xiao was likely to be fine, but secretly hoped that something unexpected might happen.
Three days passed in this manner, and still no news came from the palace. The regent, who held immense power, remained missing, his fate unknown.
Everyone began to wonder if Qin Xiao was indeed seriously injured, and even Chu Jiubian, this celestial being descended to earth, could not save him.
But despite their thoughts, everyone rationally believed that with Chu Jiubian's abilities, he could definitely help Qin Xiao escape danger.
In winter, it gets dark early. This day, it was completely dark shortly after dinner.
Inside the main hall of the Wang family's main courtyard.
The head of the family, Wang Huanzhi, sat at the head of the table, with Wang Zhiyuan, the Minister of Rites, sitting to his side, and Wang Zhang, an elder of the Wang family and also Wang Huanzhi's advisor, sitting to his left.
Inside the hall was an iron stove bought from Baibaoju. It was exquisite and unique, and looked completely different from the thin-skinned iron stoves used by ordinary people in later generations.
This iron furnace was naturally the kind that Chu Jiubian had previously made for the palace. He ordered more to be made, and added some unique shapes and engravings to make it stand out, which made it sell for a higher price.
It wasn't that he didn't want to make some ordinary iron ore to sell to ordinary people, but now that not much iron ore has been mined, it is very precious and controlled by the government, so the price of iron furnaces cannot be low, and ordinary people cannot afford them.
If that's the case, why not make some exquisite and beautiful ones and sell them to the powerful and wealthy at high prices?
Leaving aside the wealthy households in the capital, these powerful and influential families each have hundreds of iron stoves. Chu Jiubian even taught the manager of Baibaoju how to build fire walls so that the rooms would be warmer.
Nowadays, Baibaoju has a "buy a stove and get a free fire wall" promotion. Anyone who buys a stove will have a fire wall built by craftsmen hired by Baibaoju.
At this moment, there is a fire wall in the main hall of the Wang family.
The fire in the stove was burning brightly, making the house warmer than ever before.
Wang Huanzhi, dressed in a thin emerald green robe, took a sip of tea before speaking slowly, "Your Excellency has been quite busy lately; it's been a long time since I've sat down and had tea with you like this."
Ever since Wang Zhiyuan instructed Wang Pengyi to diligently handle the task of transporting military funds, Chu Jiubian had discerned Wang Zhiyuan's intention to defect and assigned him even more tasks, demonstrating an unprecedented level of reliance on him.
He can now be said to be the most powerful of the six ministers.
Besides him, Wang Pengyi, the Vice Minister of Revenue, was sent to transport military funds, which goes without saying. Even Wang family protégés who remained in the court—Liu Junqi, the Vice Minister of Works, and Wang Yu, the Director of the Ministry of Personnel—were given exceptionally important positions.
Arrangements for receiving princes, year-end promotions and reassignments of various officials, local tax collection and miscellaneous matters—these people can all get involved, causing endless annoyance.
As a result of all these factors, during the months Qin Xiao was away, the already powerful Wang family was not only not suppressed, but instead gained even more power.
Unrivaled in popularity, like oil being poured on a raging fire.
In this situation, everyone knew that Wang Zhiyuan had implicitly sided with the emperor and "betrayed" the aristocratic alliance.
The emperor, or rather Chu Jiubian, made no secret of his heavy reliance on the Wang family in order to use their power and connections to suppress the other three aristocratic families.
Sure enough, while everyone tacitly dealt with Qin Xiao, Wang Pengyi, who held the lifeline of the army, worked diligently, not only protecting the military pay well but also delivering it in a timely manner, so that the army had no worries about supplies.
It can be said that Wang Pengyi's contribution was also significant in Qin Xiao's ability to conquer the entire Sai Kingdom.
In this way, the Wang family has completely stood on the opposite side of the powerful and influential families.
As the head of the family, Wang Huanzhi did not covet being a loyal minister and general to the emperor; he wanted to gain more benefits and power for himself and the Wang family.
However, the actions of Wang Zhiyuan and Wang Pengyi, two important officials in the court, can be said to be contrary to his views.
Helping the royal family weaken the power of aristocratic families is not a good thing.
Once the other powerful families have been suppressed, it will be their turn. Wang Huanzhi doesn't believe that Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao will allow the Wang family to become dominant.
However, what made Wang Huanzhi most uneasy was that Wang Zhiyuan made no attempt to hide his relationship with the young master Wang Qichen. In fact, during this period, Wang Zhiyuan met with Wang Qichen more often than he met with Wang Huanzhi, the head of the family.
There was also Wang Ruzhen, the Vice Minister of Justice who firmly stood by Wang Huanzhi in the court. While most of the high-ranking officials in the Wang family were given important positions, he was marginalized.
Wang Huanzhi couldn't help but suspect that Wang Zhiyuan and Chu Jiubian had said something to each other.
He summoned Wang Zhiyuan today to find out whether the other party had secretly sided with his rebellious son Wang Qichen and whether he had begun to suppress the Wang family's power, which belonged to the head of the family, in the court.
If that's the case, it will be even more difficult for Wang Huanzhi to pass the position of young master to his youngest son, Wang Wenyao.
"With the year-end approaching, there are many matters to attend to in the court, so things will naturally be even busier," Wang Zhiyuan said calmly.
Wang Huanzhi smiled slightly, but the smile didn't reach his eyes: "Then you've really gone to a lot of trouble, Minister."
"Your Majesty's reliance on you is not tiring."
Wang Zhiyuan's high-sounding words wiped the last trace of a fake smile off Wang Huanzhi's face.
"We're all family, why bother with such formalities, Minister?"
His tone was somewhat harsh.
Even when he needed Wang Zhiyuan's help and wanted Wang Huanzhi to side with him, Wang Huanzhi still couldn't bring himself to lower himself and couldn't let go of his so-called arrogance as the head of the family. He looked down on people all day long and showed no respect whatsoever.
Wang Zhang, sitting to the left, secretly glanced at Wang Zhiyuan's expression. He couldn't detect any emotional fluctuations, but he still spoke in a conciliatory tone: "The patriarch and you have met today to have a heart-to-heart talk. I hope you understand."
Wang Zhiyuan smiled slightly but did not reply.
Wang Huanzhi then spoke up, saying, "My Wang family has been a family of upright officials for generations, and we disdain engaging in power struggles. We are merely doing this to protect ourselves. I'm sure you, sir, have your own judgment."
He looked at Wang Zhiyuan and continued, "Now that the imperial power is great and Prince Ning has returned to the capital in triumph, he is in an unparalleled position. Once he recovers, he will surely make a move against our aristocratic families."
Wang Zhang secretly sized up the person at the head of the table.
But Wang Zhiyuan remained silent.
Wang Huanzhi frowned, then softened his tone and advised, "My lord, you must know that the reason our four great families have reached this position is because we stick together and support each other. But now you are getting close to Chu Jiubian and the royal family, which is obvious to all of us. You don't want to put our Wang family to death, do you?"
"What do you mean by that, Patriarch?" Wang Zhiyuan finally spoke. "Everything I have done is for the Wang family to continue for generations. I have never thought of harming the family."
"But what you are doing now is pushing the Wang family to the opposite side of other powerful and influential people, putting the Wang family on the hot seat!"
Wang Huanzhi's words were firm and resolute, and Wang Zhiyuan's face turned completely cold.
He had long since mastered the art of concealing his emotions, but now his feelings are easily discerned because he has made no attempt to hide them.
Seeing this, Wang Zhang was afraid that it would really damage the harmony, so he quickly said, "Minister, you want to be on good terms with the royal family because you value Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao's abilities and want to use their influence to push the Wang family to a higher position. This is understandable, and we are grateful and admire you."
"But I also want to ask you a question, sir: are you so certain that Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao won't discard them after they've served their purpose?"
Wang Zhiyuan chuckled softly.
Wang Zhang and Wang Huanzhi were unfamiliar with Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian's styles of conduct, but Wang Zhiyuan, who spent his days in the court, could see everything clearly.
These two men were powerful, intelligent, and shrewd. In terms of cunning, strategy, and tactics, they were among the best of their time. Even Wang Zhiyuan, a senior figure who had been immersed in the court for many years, found it difficult to deal with them.
However, there is one thing that sets these two apart from other powerful and influential people.
That is loyalty and affection.
Both Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian are people who value loyalty and righteousness, and are also concerned about their country and its people.
They will work tirelessly for the people, and everything they do is to make the lives of the people of Daning better and better, and to make Daning stronger and stronger.
And they do indeed have that ability.
Previously, Wang Zhiyuan was so engrossed in political infighting that he couldn't see these things clearly. However, when his student Liu Junqi was promoted and Wang Pengyi was entrusted with the important task of escorting supplies, he suddenly understood.
I realized that I didn't understand things as well as the younger generation.
Now that we are no longer in the reign of Emperor Gaozong, we no longer need the resources of powerful families to restore the people's livelihood. Therefore, what Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian need are people who can truly do things for the court and the people.
Fortunately, the Wang family, including Wang Zhiyuan himself, has not done anything irreparable to Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian.
The two men were willing to forgive and forget and not kill the entire Wang family. If they offered him a way out, Wang Zhiyuan would naturally take it.
However, the head of the Wang family was clearly trapped by his own small family and his own selfish desires, and could not see the situation clearly.
He's not as insightful as young master Wang Qichen.
Wang Zhiyuan recalled that Chu Jiubian had taken the initiative to go to Yaotai Bookstore and chatted with Wang Qichen for quite some time.
Although it's unclear what they discussed, judging from Wang Qichen's behavior during this period, he and Chu Jiubian must have reached some kind of cooperation.
However, he also noticed that whenever he intentionally or unintentionally mentioned Chu Jiubian or talked about things related to him, Wang Qichen's attitude would become more respectful and friendly.
Although the specific reasons are unknown, it is clear that the relationship between Wang Qichen and Chu Jiubian is not as simple as the outside world perceives it to be, which is a good thing for the Wang family.
However, Wang Zhiyuan was unwilling to discuss the intricacies involved.
It wasn't that I didn't want to give Wang Huanzhi some pointers, but the other party had a strategist like Wang Zhang by his side, so it was impossible for him not to know the implications.
Therefore, Wang Huanzhi and others knew this, but still decided to continue opposing the emperor.
Wang Zhiyuan felt that this was partly due to the fact that Wang Huanzhi's son, Wang Wenfu, was beheaded in public by Qin Xiao for consuming datura.
It's really hard to forgive and forget the hatred caused by the killing of one's son.
So, in essence, the current division within the Wang family into two factions is simply a matter of differing stances.
If their previous conflict was simply between "supporting the family head" and "supporting the young master," now they are choosing between "supporting the aristocratic family" and "supporting the imperial power."
Wang Zhiyuan knew that Wang Huanzhi wanted to bring him into his camp, but he had a higher opinion of Wang Qichen and naturally would not accept the olive branch offered by the other party.
Whether it's coercion, enticement, or emotional blackmail under the guise of "righteousness," he won't change his attitude.
Therefore, he was unwilling to talk about this matter any further and changed the subject, saying, "Instead of worrying about things that are not important, the head of the family should worry about the newly emerging Yaotai Qing paper on the market."
Seeing the change in Wang Huanzhi's expression, Wang Zhiyuan took a sip of tea before speaking slowly: "Young Master's bookstore held a literary gathering, which has made him famous and talented, not to mention his wealth. Right now, everyone is saying that Young Master is the most likely to win the sales rights for Yaotai paper."
After much anticipation, Yaotai Qingzhi (瑶台青纸) has finally been released.
The first time it appeared was in a brothel in the capital, where a well-educated young woman skilled in calligraphy unfolded a sheet of paper in front of everyone and began to write on it.
The paper was as fine as Xuan paper from later generations. Compared to the paper that Da Ning had, it could be described as "pure white as snow, soft, flexible and thin". As soon as it appeared, it was praised by everyone.
In addition, the scholarly young lady's excellent handwriting complemented the fine paper perfectly, making that piece of calligraphy fetch an astronomical price.
Yaotai paper became incredibly popular in the capital from that day on, and everyone wanted to buy it.
But the bookish girl said that the paper maker did not want to reveal his identity and only wanted to find someone to cooperate with. He would be responsible for making the paper, and the others would be responsible for selling it.
However, the paper maker had his own considerations. He needed to examine all those who wanted to cooperate with him, and only those who met his requirements could obtain exclusive sales rights.
However, he did not explain what "meeting the requirements" meant.
Previously, the "Langya Gold Paper" sold by the Wang family could fetch one ingot of gold per page at its peak, and it was almost all bought by the powerful and wealthy for collection. Now, the value of this Yaotai Blue Paper will only be higher.
With such exorbitant profits, naturally everyone wants to get involved.
Therefore, recently, everyone in the capital who wants to do business with Yaotai paper has been putting in a lot of effort to show off their abilities.
They either searched everywhere for information about paper makers, or they displayed their poetic talent or wealth in an attempt to impress them.
However, several days passed, and there were still no more Yaotai paper available for sale on the market, nor was anyone heard of anyone getting a piece of it.
Wang Huanzhi was naturally one of them.
The Wang family's most profitable business was selling paper, and when people mentioned writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, they would think of the Wang family first.
This is one of the reasons why the Wang family is known for its "propriety" and its "integrity".
However, if the Yaotai paper were taken by someone else, the Wang family would no longer be the sole owner of the papermaking technique, losing both profit and fame.
Therefore, Wang Huanzhi was willing to pay any price to get to know the person behind the Yaotai paper.
Either sell the Yaotai paper to the Wang family, or completely eliminate the possibility of Yaotai paper appearing.
If possible, Wang Huanzhi would naturally prefer to have the best of both worlds.
In this way, he can have more say in the Wang family and break free from the current feeling of being subtly suppressed by Wang Qichen.
His ulterior motives were impossible to hide; everyone in the Wang family knew about them.
Wang Zhiyuan brought this up now not only to annoy him, but also to make him anxious.
When people are anxious, they lose their rationality and composure, making them more susceptible to being deceived.
Indeed, Wang Zhiyuan knew very well that the so-called "person behind the Yaotai Qingzhi" was nothing more than a scheme set up by Wang Qichen.
Because this paper was invented by Wang Qichen.
It's just that it's not currently being sold at his "Yaotai Bookstore".
Wang Qichen kept this a secret very well. To make it more convincing, he also spread some rumors within the family, claiming that he opened the bookstore because he wanted to use the name "Yaotai" to get in touch with the person behind the new paper.
As a result, no one suspected anything.
Previously, when Wang Huanzhi saw the bookstore open, he was also a little anxious, but more than that, he looked down on his eldest son and thought he was behaving like a child.
They didn't even know if they could get the paper sales rights, but they invested a huge amount of money to open a bookstore in the busiest part of Jinxiufang. They will most likely lose everything in the end.
But now Wang Zhiyuan directly exposed his self-deception, telling him that Wang Qichen's approach was more sincere than anyone else's and more likely to move the so-called "paper makers".
Sure enough, after he said those words, Wang Huanzhi's expression darkened even more.
Wang Zhiyuan didn't show it on his face, but he felt somewhat helpless inside.
Wang Huanzhi was clearly one of the best among the younger generation when he was young, otherwise he would not have been able to become the head of the family. However, as he grew older, Wang Huanzhi became more and more narrow-minded and his view of things became more and more one-sided.
He's so selfish. He only cares about his second wife and the son she gave birth to, and he doesn't care about the whole family.
In fact, he was no longer suitable to be the head of the Wang family.
“If you stand on the mountaintop for too long, you might forget your original intention when you started climbing,” Wang Zhiyuan said as a final reminder. Then he stood up and said, “You must be tired, Patriarch, you should rest early too.”
After saying that, he went out the door.
Wang Zhang gazed at his retreating figure, lost in thought.
Wang Huanzhi, however, paid no attention to his last words and said in a deep voice, "It seems he is determined to stand with that rebellious son."
If that's the case, he's even more determined to obtain the sales rights for Yaotai paper and use his abilities to completely suppress Wang Qichen.
Wang Zhang looked at him like this, wanting to say something but holding back.
There are some things that are not suitable to talk about now. The most important thing right now is to get the new paper first.
at the same time.
In the Xiao family residence, Xiao Huaiguan, the Minister of Personnel, was half-reclined on a soft couch in his bedroom.
His eyes were closed, with dark circles under them, and his cheeks were slightly sunken. His robes were also very loose, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that he was emaciated.
Opposite him, a woman dressed in a thin shirt was delicately plucking the strings of a zither.
The room was filled with smoke amidst the soft, seductive music.
Xiao Huaiguan took a deep breath, then exhaled, letting out a long sigh, his face showing a look of enjoyment.
The woman's eyes were also somewhat dazed. She let go of his hand, walked to his side, poured him a cup of tea, and held it to his lips with a smile, saying, "My lord, please have some tea."
Xiao Huaiguan ignored him, his breathing becoming uneven.
"My lord," the woman said softly, "what incense is burning in your incense burner? Its fragrance is so enchanting, it makes one feel as if they're floating on air..."
The sounds inside were muffled.
The head of the family, Xiao Yao, and the former Vice Minister of Works, Xiao Wendao, stood outside the door, their expressions both calm.
"It's gotten worse," Xiao Wendao said calmly. "His life is nearing its end."
Xiao Yao even had a smile on his face: "Now that the vassal king is coming to the capital, we should make some preparations."
The Xiao family is currently in a weak position. It was Chu Jiubian who gave the Xiao family a chance to climb up the ranks. But if Xiao Huaiguan, the Minister of Personnel, were to leave, they would be left alone and unable to support the court.
What they can do right now is to suppress the power of other aristocratic families and nobles, so that everyone can stand on the same mountain and continue to climb up together.
"Who do you think is behind Prince Ning's serious injury?" Xiao Wendao asked.
What do you think?
Xiao Wendao smiled and looked northwest, saying, "It's naturally easier to do things on one's own territory, but I don't know what the circumstances were that actually resulted in the injury of Prince Ning."
Xiao Yao didn't speak, but there was a hint of darkness in his eyes.
==
At the official post station closest to the capital, several groups of people unexpectedly met.
The postmaster, trembling with fear, led the group to receive them, bowing to each one in turn: "This humble official greets the Drunken Liang King, the King of Pingxi, the King of Nanjiang, and the King of Dingbei."
His voice was trembling.
In his lifetime, he never imagined that he would see so many vassal kings come to his post station together.
Fortunately, he knew that the princes would be coming to the capital this year and had made preparations just in case; otherwise, if he had called out the princes in the wrong order, he would have had to turn back.
King Zui Liang, Baili Yan, was the third son; King Pingxi, Baili Zheng, was the fifth son; King Nanjiang, Baili Hao, was the sixth son; and King Dingbei, Baili Yu, was the youngest son, the ninth son.
Only after he finished shouting and saw no one get angry did the postmaster breathe a sigh of relief.
It seems I didn't call it wrong.
However, it may also be because these four vassal kings were all of good character, such as Baili Yue, the King of Huguang, and Baili He, the King of Dongjiang, who had arrived together earlier.
The two men, one the eldest and the other the youngest, were on the verge of conflict the moment they met, exchanging veiled and overt insults and hostility towards each other.
The postmaster didn't dare close his eyes all night, he was on tenterhooks, but thankfully the two of them set off for the capital this morning.
"Is the main room all prepared?" asked the servant attending the Drunken King Liang with a smile.
"It's all ready, it's all ready." The postmaster hurriedly led everyone to the second floor. "The best rooms have been prepared for the four princes and their families, and food and hot water will be brought up soon."
While they were said to be his family, Baili Hao actually only brought his queen and a pair of twins, namely the Situ siblings.
The other princes didn't bring their female relatives, mainly because there's only one Empress Dowager in the palace who's considered the proper lady of the house, so it wouldn't make a difference if the princesses and noblewomen came.
Not bringing her son was another consideration.
What they feared was that Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao would suddenly launch an attack, demanding that they leave their sons in the capital. No matter what high-sounding reason they used, it was actually the same as leaving a "hostage."
Therefore, the common idea was not to bring family members, but the Southern King's family had no such scruples and actually came.
Drunken Liang King Baili Yan, dressed in a light blue robe and a fox fur cloak, asked with a smile, "Who would like to choose a room first?"
He's always had a smiling face since he was a child, always smiling at everyone; very few people have ever seen him with a dark expression.
Moreover, compared to the two older brothers who were difficult to get along with, Baili Yan was clearly more popular with these younger brothers.
Right now, the remaining three people don't seem nervous or uneasy at all.
Baili Zheng, the fourth son, said, "Third brother, make the arrangements. We'll all listen to you."
Baili Yan then said, "Alright, let's stay in the same place in order. If we set off together early tomorrow, we can arrive in the capital before the city gates are locked, so we don't have to go through another round of trouble."
Although he said it casually, it actually contained some implications for the two vassal kings mentioned earlier.
Those two who arrived at the post station last night ate breakfast slowly this morning before setting off. Their marching speed is also slow, so they certainly won't be able to return before the capital's gates are locked.
But now that both princes have arrived outside the city, who can refuse to open the city gates?
If they don't open up, then they will be disregarded by the court. After that, if they spread rumors about how the emperor is suppressing them, whether true or false, people will believe them and think that it is understandable for them to rebel against the emperor.
If it were opened, the emperor would be creating a hidden danger for himself.
The saying goes, "The emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people." But now the decree that "the city gates will not be opened after a certain time" has been changed for the sake of the vassal king. After that, if the common people want to enter the city at night, should the gates be opened or not?
If the gates are opened, they will be opened countless times, so the city gates might as well be kept open all the time. However, the safety of the city and its surroundings at night would be difficult to guarantee.
But if we don't open it, wouldn't that mean the emperor has two faces?
Baili Yue and Baili He are trying to put the emperor on a pedestal.
Everyone knows that Qin Xiao's fate is currently unknown, and Chu Jiubian has been hiding in the west courtyard of Yangxin Hall to treat him, so the question of what to do has fallen to the young emperor.
Without the planning of these two, it's hard to know how the young emperor would have reacted.
Baili Yan casually made a sarcastic remark, and the others pretended not to understand. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they all returned to their respective rooms.
After washing up and having a meal, Prince Dingbei Baili Yu read for a while before preparing to go to sleep.
His behavior was perfectly proper. Apart from his outstanding appearance among the princes, his other mannerisms made it impossible to discern what kind of person he was.
However, after the lights were turned off and he lay down on the bed, someone gently knocked on the window.
Then, the window was pushed open a crack, and a crumpled piece of paper was thrown onto the bed.
Everything returned to silence.
Baili Yu sat up, took the tinderbox, and lit it.
His face was indistinct in the flickering firelight.
His gaze fell on the note, which contained only five words: "Unconscious, no explanation given."
The one who "didn't wake up" was naturally Qin Xiao, while the one who "didn't explain" was Cheng Shuo, the deputy general who assassinated Qin Xiao.
Since Qin Xiao imprisoned him, he has remained silent no matter what methods the jailers used.
Baili Yu burned the note, then closed the tinderbox and lay down to go back to sleep.
But whether he actually fell asleep or not, no one knows.
It was already the evening of the third day inside the palace.
Chu Jiubian slept from morning until now, and when he opened his eyes again, it was already dark.
The room wasn't pitch black, but you couldn't make out anything; you could only vaguely see a blurry figure on the bed.
"How is he?" Chu Jiubian asked the system in his mind.
The person had been awake for three hours and seven minutes. An hour ago, they quietly went to relieve themselves and returned, meeting with subordinates, washing their face, and shaving.
Normally, the system wouldn't report such details, but it's different for someone who has just had surgery; every little thing needs to be taken seriously.
Is he already awake?
And they've done so many things secretly?
Chu Jiubian looked at Qin Xiao in surprise.
The blurry figure lay motionless on the bed.
Chu Jiubian sat up, only to find that something had slipped off him. When he reached out to touch it, he realized it was the blanket he had covered Qin Xiao with earlier.
"The blanket was also given to you by the patient," the system added.
Chu Jiubian sat on the couch, vaguely gazing at the person on the bed in the darkness.
After a long pause, he finally spoke: "Qin Xiao."
Because he had just woken up, his voice was still sleepy and sounded a little slurred.
"Um."
In the darkness, the man's voice was low and slightly hoarse.
For some reason, Chu Jiubian felt that his voice alone was somewhat gentle.
"How are you feeling? Besides the wound, is there anything else that's bothering you?" Chu Jiu asked.
Before Qin Xiao could say anything, the system in his mind already said solicitously: [Host, the patient's condition is perfectly normal, please rest assured.]
The nearly 1,000 points were definitely worth it.
Chu Jiubian curled her lips.
Qin Xiao then said, "It's alright."
Chu Jiubian lay back on the couch, lying on his back with his long, straight legs bent.
After a moment of silence, Chu Jiubian heard Qin Xiao say again, "Thank you."
Chu Jiu retorted, "I've said it before, as long as you treat me well, I'll have everything."
Life will work out.
Qin Xiao seemed to chuckle, his tone tinged with amusement: "Am I good to you?"
Chu Jiubian did not answer, nor did he deliberately delve into the question; he knew very well that he was avoiding it.
Not receiving a response from Chu Jiubian, Qin Xiao said to himself, "It seems that's not enough."
The wind picked up at night, and there was a faint whistling sound outside the window; the moonlight was also dim.
The room was warm, so even at night, it didn't feel desolate, but rather cozy.
It was the first time they had slept in the same room, and it felt a little strange.
Chu Jiubian pulled the blanket covering him up further, covering his mouth and nose. He smelled a faint scent, which he couldn't quite place, but he remembered that it was always on Qin Xiao.
"You won this bet," he said, his voice muffled as it was muffled under the blanket.
"Why?" Qin Xiao asked with a smile.
He could always see the young man's figure.
Although she is not short, she curls up into a ball when she sleeps, making her look very small.
At this moment, the other person was lying on their back with their legs bent, and the outline of their straight and slender legs could be seen.
Chu Jiu retorted, "The fact that you can open your eyes and talk to me about this and that means you've won, hasn't it?"
Qin Xiao was betting on whether he would save him.
Now that he's saved it, Qin Xiao has won.
Qin Xiao: "What do you think I'm betting with you on?"
"Isn't this a bet on whether I'll soften my heart?" Chu Jiubian said casually.
Qin Xiao smiled.
After a long pause, he said softly, "More or less."
He was betting that Chu Jiubian would soften his heart.
But it's not a gamble that he might save me out of pity.
He was gambling on whether Chu Jiubian would have even the slightest thought of a place that belonged to him.
Now he seems to have the answer, yet he also seems not to.
Qin Xiao gazed at the young man's figure, his deep eyes appearing even more profound in the darkness.
Facing death always reveals one's deepest desires.
Qin Xiao dared not recall what he had dreamed about during his unconscious period.
But at that moment, he knew exactly what he wanted.
Chu Jiubian could feel Qin Xiao's gaze fixed on him, direct, intense, and forceful...
He rolled over and lay on his side, his body instinctively curling up. He quietly pulled the blanket up a little more, leaving only his eyes visible as he looked at the person on the bed.
The wind outside picked up, and Chu Jiubian felt a cold draft seeping into the room through the cracks in the window, causing him to shiver involuntarily.
The next moment, he heard the man's deep voice say, "Come to bed and sleep."
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