Chapter 375: If Xiao Shao Travels to When Qi Yan Just Fell into Misfortune 4

Chapter 375: If Xiao Shao Traveled Back to When Qi Yan First Fell into Misfortune (4)

Qi Yan was utterly bewildered.

He entered the palace and was led to the silkworm chamber. The eunuch in charge greeted him politely, "My lord, you may stay here for the time being."

It was a small, separate room, clean and neatly arranged, with new clothes and bedding. Qi Yan knew it was Xiao Shao's doing and thanked him courteously, though he couldn't help asking nervously, "Might I inquire, sir, when will it begin? I'd like to prepare myself."

The eunuch gave him a strange look. "My lord, you need only stay here. If there’s anything you need, feel free to tell me."

But he made no mention of when anything would begin.

So Qi Yan settled into the room, his heart heavy with unease.

Troubled by his thoughts, he ate little and slept poorly. He watched as people came and went in the silkworm chamber, occasionally hearing cries of pain from next door. He saw the eunuch in charge disciplining newcomers with an ebony paddle, striking them at the slightest disobedience, leaving livid welts on exposed flesh.

As days passed, Qi Yan grew increasingly restless. Yet three days, then five days went by, and it seemed as if his little room had been completely forgotten. He ate and slept there, and no one came for him.

On the tenth day, Qi Yan could no longer bear it and approached the eunuch in charge, bowing as he asked, "May I ask, sir, what should I be doing?"

The eunuch gave him an even stranger look. By evening, he had brought two books and a stack of writing materials.

"The Second Prince asked me to deliver these. He said he was afraid you might be bored in the palace and suggested you pass the time by reading or writing memorials."

Qi Yan was stunned. "Memorials?"

The eunuch nodded. "The Second Prince said you could write about anything—floods in Hedong, droughts in Nanjun, any matter of governance—if you find yourself with nothing to do."

In the Previous Dynasty, Qi Yan had loved writing policy memorials.

He would draft them himself, submit them himself, and even affix his own vermilion rescript, following the proper procedures meticulously. Sometimes, when Xiao Shao tried to drag him to bed, Qi Yan would brush him off with, "I haven’t finished the memorial yet. You go ahead and sleep; I’ll join you later."

Xiao Shao would often raise an eyebrow, amused that the Emperor had to compete with paperwork for attention. He would then forcibly douse the lamps, ignoring Qi Yan’s protests as he bore him to bed and made him forget all about the unfinished memorial.

It was precisely because of this memory that Xiao Shao had made the whimsical suggestion for Qi Yan to write more memorials in his spare time.

—Once they were together, he wouldn’t allow him to write them every day.

Qi Yan’s thoughts were in turmoil, but he could only say, "Please convey my thanks to the Second Prince."

He carried the books back to his room and flipped through them hastily, only to find they were all to his taste. The selection was broad, ranging from miscellaneous notes to travel essays, and included rare and even unique editions. It was as if the Second Prince had investigated his preferences and deliberately sought them out.

But was a lowly eunuch worth such effort from a prince?

What he didn’t know was that in the Previous Dynasty, Xiao Shao had shared a bed with him for years. He knew exactly what books Qi Yan liked to read before sleep and which ones were his favorites.

By mid-January, calamity befell the palace.

One night, Qi Yan woke abruptly to find the Eastern Palace engulfed in flames. Outside his door, soldiers tramped in full battle gear, their clamor lasting until dawn. Fearing entanglement in palace affairs, he scrupulously avoided inquiry. But after that day, the eunuch in charge waited upon him with trembling servility, speaking softly and attending to his needs as if afraid of something.

When he had read through most of the books, the eunuch knocked on his door one morning, bowing with a smile. "The time has come. The Second Prince is waiting at the gate. You may leave now, my lord."

Qi Yan was taken aback. "The Second Prince came in person?"

The eunuch chuckled. "Indeed, he did. He’s right outside—you’d best hurry."

Qi Yan paused and looked through the open door. In the distance, he saw a carriage spanning four chi, inlaid with pine-green stones and gold-jade motifs. And there, leaning casually against it, was Xiao Shao, dressed in vermilion yesa robes with a gilded hairpiece and white jade belt, smiling in his direction.

Xiao Shao was already uncommonly comely, but from afar, he appeared even more imposing—tall and dignified, like jade peaks arrayed. As Qi Yan gazed at him, his mind wandered back to the days when he had first achieved his jinshi degree. He remembered riding through Chang’an and catching sight of that debonair scion of nobility smiling from a high tower, swaying his ivory fan. For a moment, he was lost in the memory.

He stood rooted to the spot, so Xiao Shao took two steps forward, reaching a hand past the doorway. "Why are you just standing there? Get out here."

Qi Yan lowered his gaze and took the offered hand, letting himself be led as he stepped over the high threshold of the silkworm chamber.

As he stepped out, he noticed the towering threshold underfoot. Once someone entered this place, who wouldn’t be skinned alive—or lose half their life—just to leave?

...And yet, here he was? Stepping out so easily?

No mutilation, no disgrace, no suffering—just a quiet month of reading, and then he simply walked out?

Was it because of this hand holding his?

The fingers were long and warm, and being led by them gave him a sense of protection, a reassurance that no torment would befall him.

Qi Yan was dazed, letting Xiao Shao guide him wherever he pleased, obedient as a lamb. Unable to resist, Xiao Shao pinched his cheek, then lifted his chin to scrutinize him when he noticed Qi Yan still seemed lost in thought. "Xiao Tanhu, what’s with the dazed look today? Hmm, you’ve even lost weight. Did anyone give you trouble in there?"

Qi Yan ducked his head, trying to evade Xiao Shao’s gaze. "...No."

Xiao Shao raised a brow, studying Qi Yan’s expression closely, his narrow eyes narrowing further. "You were bullied... Who was it?"

He gripped Qi Yan’s chin, refusing to let him hide, domineering. His strikingly handsome, noble face was inches from Qi Yan’s, his gaze icy—as if just one name from Qi Yan’s lips would be enough for him to drag that person out and beat them senseless to avenge him.

"......"

Qi Yan pressed his lips together, suddenly overwhelmed with resentment.

When the Qi family fell from grace, he hadn’t felt wronged—it was the whims of imperial power, and as a subject, he had no choice but to endure. When Xiao Shao appointed him as a eunuch, he hadn’t felt wronged—if it meant protecting his family, he was willing to suffer the disgrace. Even when entering the silkworm chamber, he hadn’t felt wronged—he had known what awaited him, and there was no other way. No need for resentment.

But now, the confusion, fear, helplessness, and bewilderment of the past few months surged up all at once, churning in his chest into a suffocating ache. Suddenly, he felt deeply wronged.

So wronged that tears pricked his eyes.

Seeing the redness in his eyes, Xiao Shao’s frown deepened, and he immediately grabbed Qi Yan’s shoulder. "Tell me who it was. I’ll drag them out here myself."

"No, it’s not that." Qi Yan managed a weak smile. "No one bullied me. They were decent to me."

Xiao Shao arched a brow. "Really?"

Qi Yan nodded. "Mm."

Xiao Shao continued to study him, neither believing nor disbelieving.

They had lingered at the door too long, whispering privately. The overseer grew nervous, peering anxiously from behind the doorframe, his wrinkled face twisting into a strained, flower-like smile.

When Qi Yan stayed silent, Xiao Shao finally released him, his face hardening as he turned toward the overseer.

"?"

The overseer’s smile stiffened.

Then, Qi Yan mustered the courage to grab Xiao Shao’s arm and pull him back sharply. "No, really, no one bullied me!"

The overseer watched in horror, but to his astonishment, the young master actually stopped at Qi Yan’s pull, glancing back lazily before letting himself be dragged away.

Xiao Shao slung an arm around Qi Yan’s shoulders. "Fine, if you say so. But if anyone ever does bully you, you have to tell me."

Qi Yan mumbled, "Mm."

Though held by Xiao Shao, he didn’t recoil. Instead, he unconsciously leaned closer, pressing against him in a gesture of intimacy and reliance.

The two of them boarded the carriage, and Qi Yan lifted the curtain, watching the Silkworm Chamber grow smaller and smaller in the distance, until it shrank to a distant speck amidst the clatter of hooves.

The crushing weight that had once stifled him was now gone.

Xiao Shao casually chatted with him, asking if he’d enjoyed the books and if he had written anything. Qi Yan answered each question, and in the pauses between their conversation, he asked hesitantly, "Your Highness, you don’t want me as your personal attendant?"

"Personal attendant?" Xiao Shao raised an eyebrow and outright refused, "I’d never allow that."

Xiao Shao loved to tease, but he knew his limits. No matter how much he joked in the future, he carefully avoided any mention of Xiao Tanhu’s family background or physical condition.

The sight of Xiao Tanhu flinching away, unwilling to let him touch his scars, truly cut Xiao Shao to the heart.

"......"

Qi Yan gaped at him, fingers clutching the hem of his robe, unable to speak.

For a moment, Qi Yan couldn’t help but cling to the hope that even something as monumental as the Qi family’s ruin could be reversed if he begged Xiao Shao.

But he quickly dismissed the thought.

The case against the Qi family had been personally overseen by the Emperor. That Xiao Shao could offer some care in prison was already the height of generosity. To overturn the entire verdict was impossible, and directly asking would only put Xiao Shao in a difficult position.

Even if he were to ask, he should first do something for Xiao Shao.

If he did enough, and did it well, perhaps Xiao Shao couldn’t save everyone, but could he at least save his mother and sister?

So, after a long silence, Qi Yan reined in his emotions and bowed formally, asking, "How may I serve Your Highness?"

What could he possibly do to match the favor and kindness he had received these days?

Xiao Shao thought to himself, *"Of course, as my Empress—my queen and wife."* But in their previous life, every time he called Xiao Tanhu that in bed, the reaction was extreme—Xiao Tanhu would be too flustered to speak, even his toes curling in embarrassment. After some consideration, Xiao Shao decided it was better not to be so blunt, lest he scare him away.

Xiao Shao said, "My Close Confidant and Favored Minister."

Qi Yan was startled once more.

A prince might keep favorites, but only an Emperor names Favored Ministers.

His mind raced in an instant. *Could it be that His Highness has ambitions for the throne?*

Xiao Shao was notorious for his leisurely indulgence, spending his days wandering pleasure quarters, listening to pipa music and songs, never once competing with his elder brother.

Unless...

That was it. Such personal investment—aside from coveting beauty, there was another possibility.

The Second Prince was recruiting scholars and assembling a faction, intending to enter the struggle for succession and claim the throne.

This would explain why Xiao Shao had taken him into his residence and treated him well, yet never laid a hand on him.

Qi Yan was renowned for his talent, and now, stripped of power, he had no ties to any faction in the court. Alone and unburdened, if Xiao Shao could win him over, he could strategize behind Xiao Shao’s back. Once Xiao Shao ascended the throne, he would become the Emperor’s keenest blade, his most lethal weapon.

Compared to being locked away in the rear courtyard as a trophy, his talents squandered, becoming the Emperor’s weapon was the better choice. Yet for some reason, Qi Yan felt a hollow ache.

Unconsciously, he had grown attached to the warmth beneath Xiao Shao’s cloak and the comforting hand that had reached out to him.

*A subject actually nursing such shameful desires toward His Highness...* Qi Yan silently scolded himself for his lack of propriety and forcefully suppressed the loneliness. He then asked, "Your Highness, while I was in the palace, I noticed unusual activity near the Eastern Palace—flames rising into the sky, lasting until dawn. Does Your Highness know of this?"

Power struggles often involved underhanded methods, and Xiao Tanhu had yet to be tainted by such things. Xiao Shao had no intention of explaining in detail. "Ah, I pulled a few strings. The Crown Prince has been punished by His Majesty with house arrest."

Qi Yan thought to himself, "Just as I thought."

He then added, "Previously, Your Highness asked me to write a policy essay on the disaster situation in Hedong's Southern Commandery. I have completed it. Does Your Highness have time to look it over?"

Xiao Shao replied, "Sure, I'll read it when I return. If you are willing, look further into the historical records of Hedong, especially the collusion among the local aristocratic families."

To clear the Qi family's name in this life, he and Qi Yan would have to revisit Hedong, so preparations needed to be made in advance.

"Understood."

Qi Yan first acknowledged the request but then felt it wasn't formal enough. Suddenly, he straightened up and bowed respectfully to Xiao Shao, saying, "I’m at Your Highness’s service, ready to give my all. I will thoroughly investigate the situation in Hedong, compile the findings, and get back to you soon."

"...?"

Xiao Shao arched a brow.

He wondered what Xiao Tanhu was up to, suddenly swearing loyalty like this. But Qi Yan's focused expression and the earnest way he performed the advisor's bow were oddly endearing—something he hadn't seen in the Previous Dynasty. Xiao Shao didn't stop him. Instead, he flicked open his fan with a smile and said, "Very well, I'll be counting on you."