Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Tyrant x2
Since his rebirth, Wen Xing's body energy has been very low, as if he was trying to make up for the sleep he had in two lifetimes. He didn't get enough sleep every day. After such a busy time in the court, he felt sleepy again when he returned to Funing Palace, so he slept until noon the next day.
Sunlight shone through the gap in the bed curtains onto Wen Xing's eyelids. He gradually regained consciousness and vaguely heard a voice coming from outside the window: "General Ning, please don't make things difficult for us servants. His Majesty has said that you will be working in the Imperial Study from now on..."
Wen Xing frowned slightly and called out in a hoarse voice: "Li Dequan..."
The sound was too quiet and the person outside the door didn't hear it.
He took a deep breath and called out again, "Li Dequan!"
This time the old lady heard it, responded quickly, and ran into the house.
Wen Xing looked at the ceiling of the tent and asked expressionlessly, "Who's outside?"
The old eunuch said, "It was General Ning who asked His Majesty to revoke his order."
Hearing the words "revoke the decision" again, Wen Xing was about to feel overwhelmed.
What's wrong with the people in this dynasty? No one obeys orders, no wonder the emperor is in such a mess. It seems that all the civil and military officials are lazy and he is the only one doing the job, right?
His voice was filled with suppressed anger: "Let him get back to work."
The old eunuch glanced outside with some embarrassment. "I have tried to persuade him, but he said he had something important to report and has been waiting since yesterday afternoon."
Wen Xing subconsciously converted the time, which meant he had been waiting for more than twenty hours.
Is this true or false?
Did he sleep that long?
The nameless anger in his heart dissipated a little, and he was just hesitating whether to meet him when he heard Li Dequan say again: "Your Majesty, General Ning has not eaten or drunk anything for a whole day and night."
Wen Xing looked out the window and saw a tall figure as straight as a pine tree standing in the yard.
It was early autumn, the heat had not yet dissipated, the sun was high in the sky at noon, and the steam was rising.
The begonias in the yard have drooped corollas.
He waved his hand: "Let him in."
He had slept for too long and his limbs felt heavy and sore, so he simply stopped moving and let the servants help him wash and dress.
When Ning Wujie was led into the inner hall by the eunuch, he saw the young emperor in jade-white brocade pajamas leaning against the bed, washing his hands.
"Tell me, what do you want to report?"
Wen Xing didn't even raise his head, shook off the water stains, took the handkerchief from the servant and wiped his fingers one by one.
Ning Wujie's gaze inadvertently fell on the pair of cold, white, slender fingers.
"I have returned to the capital to report on the military supplies at Hantie Pass. Three months ago, the Shuofeng tribe advanced on the border, and the fighting in the northwest has become intense. A month ago, my father petitioned the court for support, but received no response. Fearing that this would delay military operations, my father sent me to the capital to meet with His Majesty."
"I hope Your Majesty will approve my request for military supplies and allow me to return to Hantie Pass to help my father and brother defend against the enemy."
Listening to these words, Wen Xing tried hard to recall relevant historical events in his mind.
The broken system detected the keyword again, and a prompt popped up to the confused him:
Hantie Pass. A crucial border town of the Chen Kingdom. In the 12th year of the Yongjing reign, the Shuofeng tribe of the grasslands launched a surprise attack, forcing the Ningyuan army to resist for over a year. Ning Wujie, then General of the Yue Cavalry, led his troops to the rescue, but was ambushed en route and severely injured, unable to arrive.
The Ningyuan army was ultimately defeated, and the gates of the Chen Kingdom were wide open. Sixteen counties were lost in a row, laying the seeds for the subsequent collapse of the dynasty.
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Wen Xing narrowed his eyes.
So this battle was destined to be lost in history, and Ning Wujie not only failed to arrive but was also seriously injured?
Then why go back? To die?
It would be safer to stay and work for him.
So Wen Xing shook his head calmly, "No."
"Your work is in the imperial study, go down." He ordered her to leave.
Ning Wujie's tightly pursed lips moved slightly, and the outline of his teeth could be vaguely seen under the skin of his cheek. After a long moment, he knelt straight on his knees with a thud.
"Hantie Pass is in danger. I hope Your Majesty will approve my father's request."
Wen Xing looked at the kneeling person and raised his eyebrows.
This kneeling was quite imposing, and his entire body except for his kneecaps was stretched straight, especially his spine, which was straighter than steel bars. It was completely different from the court officials he was used to seeing.
Wen Xing suddenly felt amused. He leaned back, flexed his palm and supported his temples, and asked, "What if I refuse?"
The boy's jawline was taut, and the skin on his thin lips was cracked and pale due to lack of water. Perhaps because he had been standing outside the door all night, his eyes were red, but his gaze was full of ice.
"I signed a military order before I came to the capital. If the military supplies are not received, I will be subject to military law."
Wen Xing: ...
Wen Xing didn't know whether there was such a thing as a military order. But historically, the Ning family had been confiscated after their defeat, and this young general was undoubtedly implicated. As for why all the male members of the Ning family were killed while this young general was able to escape, even leading a rebel army all the way to the capital and overthrowing the dynasty, Wen Xing didn't know and had no interest in finding out.
Anyway, he had no intention of not providing the military supplies. What he wanted was only Ning Wujie.
He stared at the boy's crimson eyes for a while, then waved his hand helplessly, "I approve of the military supply."
"But you must stay."
Ning Wujie secretly clenched his hands into fists at his sides, still kneeling motionless. With a stern expression, he repeated, "Han Tie Pass is in need of men. Your Majesty, please let me go back to help my father and brother resist the enemy."
Wen Xing narrowed his eyes, finally got up from the bed, walked slowly to the young man, and said condescendingly: "Are you going to disobey my order?"
In Ning Wujie's lowered gaze, the young emperor's bare feet stepped silently on the nanmu floor. His feet were white and slender, like jade carvings, and his carefully trimmed nails were as smooth and lustrous as mother-of-pearl.
He raised his gaze, neither servile nor arrogant, "I dare not, but I am concerned about the safety of my father and brother. Even if I were in the court, I am afraid I would not be able to complete the tasks Your Majesty has instructed me to do wholeheartedly. The redacted document is of great importance. If there is a mistake, my life is the least of my worries, but I am afraid that it will affect the important affairs of the country."
Wen Xing sneered, "Then you can kneel down. When you are able to do your best, you can stand up."
As he spoke, he raised his chin towards the corner of the door and said, "Go over there and kneel down."
Ning Wujie frowned, stood up decisively and walked to the door, turned around, lifted his clothes and knelt down again.
Wen Xing looked at the boy's straight back and muttered to himself: Stubborn donkey.
At this time, a servant announced that the Queen Mother had arrived.
"Huaiyu, I heard that you were in the court yesterday..."
Wen Xing raised his eyes and saw a woman about forty years old, dressed in gorgeous clothes, walking in.
That was his mother, Queen Wang Fuwei.
The Empress Dowager was not his biological mother. Wen Xing's biological mother was a Hu concubine of lowly status, without any official position, and died of exhaustion shortly after giving birth. Since the Empress had no children, Wen Xing was adopted by the Empress and raised, becoming the legitimate son with the first right to inherit the throne.
The woman's footsteps paused as she passed by Ning Wujie.
She looked at the kneeling man with a scrutinizing gaze, "Are you Ning Wujie, whom His Majesty appointed to the Imperial Study yesterday?"
Ning Wujie nodded, "Yes, Queen Dowager."
"Why are you kneeling?"
Wen Xing said lazily: "He disobeyed the order."
Hearing this, the Queen Mother frowned slightly, "General Ning is quite courageous."
Ning Wujie briefly repeated his previous request to return to Hantie Pass with an expressionless face.
Upon hearing this, the Queen Mother raised her eyebrows and, with a look of sympathy, she personally bent down and helped Ning Wujie up. "Good boy, I know you are loyal. Get up."
As she spoke, she walked over to sit next to Wen Xing and advised, "This is a matter of border defense, so it's better to let Huaiyu go back. I know you haven't been feeling well lately, and you need someone to share the government affairs with you. But even if the Grand Tutor doesn't want to, don't we still have the six ministers?"
She looked at Ning Wujie again and said, "I'll make the decision on this matter. You can go back to the northwest."
Wen Xing frowned, "No."
"Huaiyu." The Queen Mother was somewhat displeased. "How could the Emperor of Dai approve such an important position and let a mere military officer take it? Moreover, he is only seventeen years old."
Wen Xing: "I was only eleven years old when I ascended the throne."
"How can they be the same?" The Queen Mother raised her voice and scolded, "Huaiyu, what's wrong with you lately? You used to listen to me the most."
"Mother knows you have a heartache, and understands that you should leave government affairs to the court officials, but you can't be so willful. Is it that all the civil and military officials in the court are useless, and he is the only one who can do it?"
Wen Xing left no doubt: "It has to be him."
Anyway, the world will belong to Ning Wujie in three years. Letting other officials take the position may be like raising a tiger to cause trouble. There will be no such concerns if Ning Wujie is asked to do it. It is nothing more than getting familiar with government affairs in advance. It doesn't make any difference at all.
Moreover, according to history, he would die at the hands of Ning Wujie. Rather than letting Ning Wujie threaten his life outside, it would be better to keep him by his side and monitor him. When the three-year period was up, he would find an opportunity to leave the palace, hide his identity, and live a completely peaceful retirement life.
Perfect.
The bedroom was quiet for a few breaths.
The Queen Mother was somewhat incredulous: "What if the entire court, both civil and military, opposes him?"
Wen Xing lay down dejectedly among the piled-up pillows, staring at the ceiling of the tent and saying gloomily, "Then I won't be the emperor anymore."
If being an emperor doesn’t give you freedom, it’s better not to be one.
Ning Wujie's pupils trembled slightly, and he looked at Wen Xing with an unfathomable gaze.
What the hell is this idiot talking about?!
"absurd!"
The Queen Mother stood up suddenly.
Seeing that Xing was still acting like a loser, her face turned pale and she raised her arm to point at Ning Wujie, "What kind of magic potion did he put into you? He made you lose your composure just after entering the palace for the first time. Even if you want to respect him for the sake of Ning Yuanhou, you shouldn't..."
When she said this, she didn't know what she was thinking about. She turned her head suspiciously and stared at the boy's almost perfect face, whispering: "Could it be..."
Being stared at by the Queen Mother like that, Ning Wujie frowned in confusion.
Wen Xing really didn't want to waste time talking to the Queen Mother. His eyes moved slightly, and he suddenly covered his chest and made a sound of pain: "...It hurts..."
Seeing him curled up, seemingly in great pain, the Queen Mother hurriedly said, "Huaiyu, is your chest aching again? Quick, call the imperial physician."
Wen Xing weakly ordered the guests to leave: "Seeing the imperial physician will be of no use. I... just need to rest for a while. Please go back, mother."
Li Dequan quickly brought the medicine and said to the Empress Dowager respectfully, "Your Majesty, the imperial physician said that Your Majesty needs to rest and not work hard."
The Queen Mother twisted her handkerchief tightly, somewhat unwillingly, as if she wanted to persuade him again, "But... Ning..."
Wen Xing was a little annoyed. He was just pretending to be in pain and finding an excuse to get rid of people just now, but now he was really in pain because he was restricted everywhere by being the emperor.
The pain was unbearable. He gritted his teeth, cold sweat oozing from his forehead, and interrupted angrily, "Mother, please go back."
The tone of this voice was commanding, and the Queen Mother almost doubted her own ears, "Huaiyu..."
Wen Xing looked at the woman, his fierce eyes full of warnings.
The empress dowager seemed to have never seen Wen Xing show such an expression before, and she took two steps back in shock.
After a long time, he finally gave in and said, "...Okay...I won't force you anymore."
She turned around and took a few steps, then paused when she passed Ning Wujie.
She looked sideways at Ning Wujie's face intently, and said in a very low voice to herself, "She is a beauty, no wonder Your Majesty..." When she said this, she swallowed the rest of her words unwillingly and strode away.
Her voice was low enough, but Ning Wujie had good hearing and heard it all.
The boy's pupils trembled.
The servants were busy shuttling around him, occasionally brushing against the hem of his robe.
Looking at the emperor lying on the bed in sweat from the pain, Ning Wujie frowned.
...A tyrant emperor!!
*
The Queen Mother strode out of the Funing Palace. Seeing her sullen expression, the attendant beside her said tentatively, "Your Majesty, if it really doesn't work, why don't we select a few outstanding-looking people from our clan..."
The Queen Mother scolded: "Can anyone be as outstanding as the Ning family?"
The attendant bowed his head, "But if we don't do this, will we have to watch His Majesty divide power with the Ning family? They are frontier generals with heavy troops under their command..."
The Queen Mother glanced at the attendant and said, "Whether he wants to share power with the Ning family or win over the Ning family, it remains to be seen."
She paused here, recalling the look the emperor had given her just now. Her eyes became fierce and she clenched her handkerchief tightly.
But a moment later she sighed again, "This is also my fault. The emperor has been on the throne since I was eleven years old, and for twelve years he has left his harem empty and refused to appoint a queen. I should have thought of this long ago."
"It's a pity that it's too late to say anything now. His heart and eyes are filled with only the Ning family. He even gave up the throne for this person."
The attendant asked, "Then we have no other options?"
The empress dowager looked back at Funing Palace, thought for a moment, and her eyes became sharper, as if she had made some kind of decision.
*
There was chaos in Funing Palace.
Wen Xing's heart pain became more and more severe, even breathing was painful. At this moment, he was sweating all over and his teeth were clenched tightly.
His fingers were pinching the edge of the bed, revealing the white joints.
His consciousness gradually became confused, and he vaguely heard the old eunuch's panicked voice.
"Your Majesty, it's time to take the medicine. Open your mouth."
Wen Xing's consciousness was out of control and he could hardly respond. He could only instinctively tense all the muscles in his body and grit his teeth to resist the sharp and intense pain.
Seeing Wen Xing had no reaction and was nearly fainting, Li Dequan was completely panicked. He tried to pry Wen Xing's mouth open, but Wen Xing bit her mouth tightly with all her strength, and he couldn't pry it open.
Afraid of hurting the emperor, he didn't dare to move again, so he turned his head to look at Ning Wujie who was standing behind him.
"General Ning, you are skilled in martial arts, please help me."
Ning Wujie stared at Wen Xing's face. The other person's beautiful eyebrows that slanted into the temples were tightly furrowed in pain, and the eyelashes under the closed eyes were trembling violently.
Sweat slid down his forehead, condensed into large beads of sweat on his chin, and finally dripped down to soak his front.
It looks like it really hurts.
"General Ning!"
Ning Wujie was brought back to his senses and looked at the old eunuch who was holding a medicine bottle and asking for help in a panic.
His eyes were dark as he stepped forward, pinching Wen Xing's jaw with one hand while raising his other hand towards Li Dequan, "Give me the medicine."
Li Dequan took out a thin pill and placed it in his palm. "Your Majesty, this medicine must be placed under your tongue. Do not swallow it."
Ning Wujie pinched Wen Xing's fingertips hard, and his teeth were pried open a gap.
He flipped his palm, picked up the pill, and decisively put it into Wen Xing's mouth.
His fingers lifted the tip of his tongue, and the warm and soft touch made his whole body stagnate. The strange touch he had never experienced before was like an electric current, transmitting from his fingertips all the way up his arm.
Ning Wujie withdrew his hand as if he had been electrocuted.
The medicine took effect quickly, and the person who was tense just now gradually relaxed.
Ning Wujie looked at the person in front of him intently for a moment——
The eyelashes trembled slightly and slowly rose, revealing a pair of blue-gray eyes under the half-closed eyelids, soaked with physiological tears, and the watery light was as shimmering as the surface of a blue lake.
Ning Wujie secretly clenched his fingers and fiercely suppressed the faint strange feeling at his fingertips.
The pain gradually dissipated, Wen Xing sighed softly, and finally regained consciousness.
The blurred vision gradually focused, and Ning Wujie's somewhat strange expression appeared in front of him.
Wen Xing covered his chest, found a comfortable position and sank into the pillow, no longer having the energy to pay attention to this person.
At this time, the imperial physician hurried over.
Seeing the visitor, Ning Wujie stood up to make room for the imperial physician.
The imperial physician carefully felt Wen Xing's pulse and warned him, "Your Majesty, there's nothing serious. This is how illnesses are; they come and go quickly."
"But Your Majesty, please be careful from now on. Don't wait until you're in extreme pain before taking medicine. You need to be alert and take medicine as soon as you feel the slightest discomfort."
Wen Xing said "hmm" softly.
The imperial physician respectfully withdrew, turned around, pulled Li Dequan over, and said in a low voice, "Please, Eunuch Li, please be careful. Next time, don't let His Majesty suffer this much before taking the medicine. If the disease gets worse and worse, and it becomes uncontrollable, the medicine will be ineffective, and his life may be in danger."
Li Dequan was horrified when he heard this. He kept saying yes and silently wiped away the cold sweat of fear.
If General Ning hadn't been there just now, Your Majesty would have been...
Li Dequan didn't dare to think about it anymore.
Ning Wujie heard all the whispered conversations. He frowned and looked at the emperor with sweat on his forehead.
How could a foolish ruler have such a serious mental illness?
He had never heard of it.
Noticing a pair of eyes staring straight at him, Wen Xing raised his eyes and looked over. His pale lips slightly raised as he said in a hoarse voice, "Have you figured it out?"
Ning Wujie's face darkened. He stood up decisively and went back to the corner by the door. He pulled up his clothes and knelt down again with a thud.
Wen Xing sneered.
So stubborn.
Li Dequan handed the teacup to Wen Xing, half blaming himself and half reminding him, "It's all my fault for being incompetent. I have no choice but to ask General Ning to feed His Majesty the medicine."
Wen Xing narrowed his eyes and looked at Ning Wujie, and saw that the other party was kneeling upright, looking straight ahead. Even though he had been standing outside for a day and a night, and kneeling here for half a day, his momentum was still undiminished.
Only the cracked and white lips and the increasingly red eye sockets revealed a hint of fatigue in the other person.
Li Dequan followed Wen Xing's gaze and glanced at Ning Wujie, then reminded him, "Your Majesty, General Ning hasn't eaten or drunk anything for a long time. Do you want to..."
Wen Xing said nothing, picked up the teacup and sipped the tea with his eyes lowered.
Li Dequan knew that this was his permission, so he waved to his attendants, "Prepare the meal."
When the meal was brought into the room, Li Dequan glanced at Ning Wujie, who was kneeling on the ground with an expressionless face, and then at the emperor, who was drinking his tea. Seeing that Xing had no intention of letting Ning Wujie get up to eat, he could not help but feel helpless.
So he ordered someone to bring a low table and place it in front of Ning Wujie. As he served the dishes, he said ashamedly, "I'll excuse you, General Ning, for making do with this."
Ning Wujie saw the low table filled with exquisite dishes and the teacup filled with Jin Junmei tea.
What's the meaning?
Give him a slap and then give him a sweet treat, hoping to tame him and make him stay willingly?
Wen Xing had completely recovered from the heartache by now. He put the tea bowl aside, raised his eyelids lazily and looked over. He saw Ning Wujie still kneeling upright, looking at him with an unfathomable look.
Wen Xing raised his eyebrows.
"Why? Are you afraid that I'll poison you?"
It is better to remain silent than to be robbed.
Wen Xing scoffed, "You've repeatedly disobeyed my orders, and I thought you weren't afraid of death."
Ning Wujie said coldly with an expressionless face: "I dare not."
After saying that, he picked up the teacup, drank it all, and picked up the chopsticks decisively.
Tapping the table with his chopsticks, he looked at the dishes on the table, closed his eyes deeply, and decided to let his stomach go.
Only after eating a full meal can I have the energy to deal with this tyrant.
Ning Wujie Xindao.
Wen Xing lay on the couch in a lazy and leisurely posture, watching Ning Wujie eat silently.
The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the window onto Ning Wujie's profile, outlining the young man's unparalleled handsome features.
Although the man had his eyelids drooped, Wen Xing seemed to sense a fleeting flash of anger and humiliation in the other's eyes.
Huh? Humiliation?
Why do I have this emotion?
Wen Xing tried hard to recall and seemed to have found some clues from the conversation he had just had with the empress dowager.
Could it be that this kid misunderstood something?
In order to confirm his guess, Wen Xing got up from the bed and walked over slowly.
A pair of bare feet appeared in Ning Wujie's sight. The jade-white hem covered most of the feet, leaving only the bamboo-like slender toes exposed. The skin color was three points whiter than the pajamas, and it was extremely delicate.
Ning Wujie looked up in confusion, and his eyes met Wen Xing's.
The young emperor looked down at him, suddenly curled his lips into a smile, waved his hand and asked someone to bring a recliner over, and then he sat down.
Ning Wujie:?
The recliner was shaking, and Wen Xing gently fanned himself with a feather fan.
A cool breeze carrying the scent of ambergris blew to my nose.
Ning Wujie finally put down his bowl and chopsticks and said, "Your Majesty."
Wen Xing raised an eyebrow and looked at him, "Hmm?"
Ning Wujie's face was cold, "What are you going to do?"
"It depends on you." Wen Xing answered readily.
As he spoke, he watched Ning Wujie's reaction with interest, trying to dig out the emotions he had just noticed from the other person's eyes.
But Ning Wujie frowned and looked at him with complicated eyes.
However, a faint blush suddenly appeared at the base of her ears.
Although it was extremely faint, it did not escape Wen Xing's eyes.
His eyes lit up slightly.
Would Emperor Wu of Zhou, who was decisive and ruthless, have blushed when he was young?
He became interested and said, "Eat yours."
Ning Wujie couldn't eat anymore. He twitched the corner of his lips and said with a dull face, "What is there to see, my lord?"
The implication is to go away quickly.
Wen Xing curled his lips, "You look good."
Ning Wujie: ...
He turned his face away, and the outline of his clenched teeth was faintly visible, but he didn't realize that his ears were completely exposed to Wen Xing's sight.
It's visibly redder.
After traveling here for so long, Wen Xing discovered something interesting for the first time.
His eyes moved slightly, as if he knew how to make this stubborn donkey work for him obediently.
Looking at the dishes and chopsticks that Ning Wujie had put aside, Wen Xing's eyes turned and asked, "Are you done eating already? Is your appetite so small?"
As he spoke, he picked up his chopsticks, picked up a piece of fish sashimi and handed it over, "Here, I'll feed you."
Because Wen Xing leaned over, the two of them got closer, and the ambergris that drifted to Ning Wujie's nose became even more fragrant.
The fingers holding the chopsticks look like jade carvings, so close at hand.
Ning Wujie's pupils widened, and he suddenly stepped back and stood up, looking at Wen Xing with disbelief.
Wen Xing raised his eyes with ease and finally saw the humiliated and angry look in the boy's red eyes again.
So interesting.
Although he didn't understand what this stubborn donkey was thinking, it seemed that the closer he got, the more the other party wanted to hide.
He wanted to see where this guy could hide.
Wen Xing put down his chopsticks, picked up his feather fan and fanned himself slowly, "Did I ask you to get up? From now on, you will kneel down every day to please me."
"Even if you kneel until the end of time, I will not take back my order."
When Wen Xing said this, she lifted her slender eyelids, looked at the young man with a look full of provocation, and said word by word: "I have decided on you."
Ning Wujie's eyes suddenly turned red with anger.
His hanging hands were clenched into fists, revealing the joints.
This tyrant!
Seeing his thin lips clenched tightly and his eyes staring at her with an icy look, Wen Xing felt a chill from that gaze, but she still hid a smile in her eyes and continued to put pressure on him: "Kneel down quickly."
Ning Wujie closed his eyes deeply, as if he had made a great decision, and finally said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, didn't you ask me to go to the imperial study?"
Wen Xing smiled, "Have you figured it out?"
Ning Wujie nodded with difficulty.
Wen Xing waved his fan and said, "Then go ahead."
Before he finished speaking, Ning Wujie strode out of the hall.
Looking at the boy's hurriedly leaving back, Wen Xing slowly curled up a smile, tilted his head back and lay back in the recliner, rocking slowly.
That's really interesting.
The author has something to say:
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5j: Don’t come over here, you tyrant!
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