Chapter 59 "I want to return to the palace?" No, I want to go back to be an official!
Yun Zhan felt as if he had been run over by a heavy truck eight hundred times, or as if his bones had been dismembered and then randomly put back together.
He awoke to a familiar, pungent scent of ambergris that made his legs weak. The moment his consciousness returned, the aches and pains throughout his body, especially in a certain unspeakable area, nearly sent him into the air.
"Hiss—" He gasped, too weak to even open his eyes, and could only curse that unrestrained bastard in his heart eight hundred times over.
Beast! Animal! Even a wolf that's been starving for three months isn't as ruthless as him!
He struggled to open one eye and found himself no longer on the hard little bed in the clinic, but lying on an extremely large, extremely soft... dragon bed covered with a bright yellow brocade quilt. Upon closer inspection, he realized it wasn't the dragon bed in the palace, but still his little clinic, only the bed had changed.
The light streaming in through the window indicated that it was definitely late, at least in the afternoon.
"Awake?" A deep, magnetic voice sounded in my ear, husky with satisfaction and obvious tenderness.
Yun Zhan suddenly opened his eyes, turned his head, and sure enough, saw Yan Linye's handsome face, so strikingly beautiful it seemed to defy heaven and earth, right in front of him. This guy didn't go to court? Wait… judging from his casual clothes, he seems to have already returned from court?
Yan Linye looked at his wide-eyed expression, like a startled rabbit, and couldn't help but chuckle softly, reaching out to touch his face.
Yun Zhan slapped his hand away in annoyance, which aggravated his sore muscles, causing him to grimace again.
"Are you hungry? I'll have someone bring you a meal." Yan Linye asked patiently, without getting annoyed.
"Hungry! So hungry I could eat a whole cow!" Yun Zhan said fiercely, trying to hide his aching back and... inexplicably racing heartbeat with his fierce tone.
Soon, the exquisite meal was quietly brought in by the palace servants. Yan Linye dismissed everyone, personally picked up a bowl of well-cooked chicken porridge, scooped a spoonful, carefully blew on it, and handed it to Yun Zhan's lips.
Yun Zhan wanted to refuse with pride, but his stomach rumbled loudly, and the aroma kept wafting into his nose. He pursed his lips, but in the end, he opened his mouth and accepted the food.
As he ate, he glared at Yan Linye as if he were chewing not chicken shreds, but someone's flesh.
"Beast..." he mumbled the curse.
"Yes, I am." Yan Linye readily complied and fed him another spoonful.
"Lack of self-control!"
"Yes, it's been so long, I can't help but feel emotional."
"My back is going to break!"
"I'll rub it for you later."
"..."
Yun Zhan realized that he couldn't out-argue this guy whose skin was thicker than a city wall. He puffed up his cheeks in anger, looking like a little hamster stuffed with food.
Yan Linye looked at his lively appearance, and the smile in his eyes deepened. Compared to Yun Zhan yesterday, who was crying and almost collapsed, full of self-blame, he preferred the energetic Yun Zhan who glared at him and scolded him now.
Having eaten and drunk his fill, Yun Zhan felt some strength returning, but he was still too lazy to move, so he simply slumped back into the soft bedding. Yan Linye also took off his outer robe, sat down beside him, pulled him into his arms, and gently stroked his back.
The atmosphere instantly became warm and tender.
After a moment of silence, Yan Linye lowered his head, looked at the drowsy person in his arms, and spoke softly, with a hint of barely perceptible probing: "Yun Zhan... come back to the palace with me, shall we?"
Yun Zhan's sleepiness vanished instantly. He didn't speak, but his body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
Yan Linye sensed his resistance and felt a pang of sadness in his heart. He immediately added, "I promise that after we return to the palace, I will never restrict your freedom like before. You can do whatever you want. If you want to go out of the palace to play, I can accompany you. As long as you... don't leave my side, anything is fine."
His tone even carried a hint of cautious pleading.
Yun Zhan kept his head down and remained silent.
Yan Linye's heart sank little by little. So... he still didn't want to? He took a deep breath, suppressing the disappointment in his heart, and tried to make his voice sound calm: "If you really don't want to... that's fine. Just... don't hide from me anymore, let me see you often, that's all."
Upon hearing this, Yun Zhan finally reacted.
He looked up, rolled his eyes at Yan Linye, and said irritably, "Hide? Where can I hide? My most trusted electronic lackey has become your informant! You can find me even if I hide at the ends of the earth, right?"
He grew angrier the more he thought about it, poking Yan Linye's chest: "And another thing! Last night... last night you... took advantage of me completely, and now you expect me to follow you around without any status or identity, like a mistress kept outside? You wish! I, Yun Zhan, would never suffer such humiliation."
Yan Linye was taken aback by his question, then his eyes lit up with surprise: "You mean..."
"What I mean is!" Yun Zhan sat up straight, grimacing from the pain in his back, but still managed to put on a serious expression. "Going back is fine! But there are two conditions!"
"Tell me! I'll grant you ten, let alone two!" Yan Linye said without hesitation.
"First!" Yun Zhan held up one finger. "I want you to swear that you'll only have me in this lifetime! Forget about the three palaces, six courtyards, and seventy-two concubines! You're mine, from head to toe, inside and out, you're mine!" He fiercely declared his ownership.
"Very well!" Yan Linye answered decisively, his eyes filled with deep affection. "Of all the waters in the world, I only need one. In my life, Yun Zhan is all I need."
Yun Zhan's ears burned under his direct gaze. Forcing himself to remain calm, he held up a second finger: "Second! I don't want to be a caged bird or a decorative vase kept in the deep palace! I want to enter the court! I want to do things! I want to protect this world with you! If you dare to lock me up in the harem to eat and wait to die, I... I'll leave without looking back! I mean what I say!"
This was a decision he had made after careful consideration. Since there was no escaping it, since they were destined to be bound together, he would stand at a level worthy of Yan Linye, rather than existing as a dependent. He would help him, and in doing so, the world in his own way.
Looking into his eyes, which had regained their light and were now filled with earnestness and stubbornness, Yan Linye felt an indescribable surge of pride and emotion. His Yun Zhan was never someone to be underestimated.
“Alright!” He solemnly promised again, grasping Yun Zhan’s hand. “I promise you! After returning to the palace, I will arrange a position for you so that you can give full play to your talents! This world is the shared responsibility of both of us.”
He raised his hand, his expression solemn: "Heaven above, Earth below, I, Yan Linye, hereby swear that I will love only Yun Zhan in this life, and will never have another heart! I also grant him the right to enter the court and participate in government affairs, so that we may be of one mind as ruler and subject, and jointly govern the world! If I break this oath, may I be punished by heaven and earth, and forsaken by gods and men!"
Seeing his solemn oath, Yun Zhan's displeasure at being "tricked" finally vanished. He snorted, barely satisfied: "That's more like it."
A few days later, at the palace.
Yan Linye brought Yun Zhan back to the palace, and it went even more smoothly than he had imagined.
Although Yan Linye had already announced to the outside world that the former emperor Chu Yin had "committed suicide out of fear of punishment," the core court officials, the old guards in the palace such as Eunuch Gao, and "one of their own" such as Li Muyan, Zhao Polu, and Wang Tiezhu all knew what had happened.
Therefore, when Yan Linye held Yun Zhan's hand and appeared before everyone in a generous manner, and even brought him to the morning court session in Xuanzheng Hall the next day, the civil and military officials standing below had different expressions, some surprised, some inquisitive, and some understanding. But in the end, everyone tacitly chose to remain silent and...accept.
After all, this "Young Master Yun's" abilities had already been fully demonstrated when he improved the people's livelihood and water conservancy in Hejian Prefecture and when he eliminated Li Gang's faction after returning to the palace. Later, he opened a clinic outside the palace and treated the people during the plague (although mainly with the help of the system and Eunuch Gao), which also accumulated a lot of prestige. More importantly... the attitude of the emperor on the dragon throne was all too clear—this person cannot be touched, and even needs to be treated with respect.
Yan Linye didn't offer much explanation, but simply announced in an unquestionable manner the appointment of Yun Zhan as "Prince Chen," to participate in government affairs and assist in handling political matters.
Without fierce opposition or bloodshed, Yun Zhan returned to the center of power in an almost peaceful manner, and stood in a completely new position alongside Yan Linye.
After the court session, walking along the familiar palace path, Yun Zhan looked at Yan Linye beside him, who was dressed in a dragon robe and exuded natural majesty, and then looked at the magnificent palace in front of him, feeling a mix of emotions.
He went from a timid, cannon fodder transmigrated man who only wanted to survive, to an imprisoned, deposed king, then to a carefree "rich second generation" who escaped the palace, and finally... he actually came back and became some kind of "Prince Chen".
Life is truly full of ups and downs.
"What? Regretting it?" Yan Linye noticed his distraction and asked in a low voice.
Yun Zhan snapped out of his daze, grinned at him, revealing two small tiger teeth, with a hint of cunning and provocation: "Regret? What a joke! I'm back to collect debts! The debts you incurred for locking me up, locking me up, and... the debts for my destiny, we'll settle them slowly!"
Looking at his lively and cheerful smile, Yan Linye felt a surge of tenderness in his heart and couldn't help but reach out and pinch his cheek: "Alright, I'll be waiting for you to come and ask for it."
The sunlight shone on the two of them, lengthening their shadows as they walked side by side.
The road ahead may still be full of challenges; the plague has not subsided, the rebellion has not ended, and undercurrents are surging in the court.
But this time, they were no longer prisoners and guards, no longer engaging in deception and concealment.
They are allies, partners, and companions who will face all storms together...
Meanwhile, Xiao Qi, a system hiding in Yun Zhan's mind and who had been anxious because of "betrayal," finally breathed a long (simulated) sigh of relief as she watched the harmonious scene of "the couple returning home together."
That's great! It seems its rule has been preserved!
Next, I need to do my best to be a good "emotional system" and, incidentally... see if I can earn some points to pay off some of the host's huge loan.
Sigh, life is tough!
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