Chapter 78

Chapter 78

As the year drew to a close, the palace prepared for its annual rites, bustling with numerous tasks.

Since his return, Pei Xingjian had been swamped with work. Although Prime Minister Yan and Grand Tutor Zhang had handled court affairs in his absence, certain matters still required his personal decision.

Meanwhile, Lin Ting had been "playing dead" at home after their return. Worried that Lin Ting might not have had enough fun, Pei Xingjian deliberately granted him a few extra days off, allowing him to return to the palace whenever he felt ready to resume work.

For the first time, Lin Ting experienced what it felt like to have connections in high places.

It was pretty great.

For several days, he didn’t enter the palace. Every evening, Pei Xingjian would send a eunuch to inquire, "His Majesty asks if Lord Lin wishes to come to the palace today?"

But after spending days entangled with Pei Xingjian in Caihua City, Lin Ting’s inner thighs were chafed raw. The mere thought of sharing a bed with Pei Xingjian in the palace made him shudder.

He was practically sucked dry—he needed a break.

So he shook his head. "I have matters to attend to today. I won’t be going."

The eunuch would then return to report. The next evening, another eunuch would arrive, bearing several jars of balm of jade dew, asking if he wished to enter the palace.

Lin Ting accepted the ointment but still refused. "Let me rest a bit longer."

After lounging for a few days, Lin Ting heard that the newly selected scholars had finally received their assignments.

On a clear day, he made another trip to Nanxiang Temple.

Yang Gongming was packing his belongings when Lin Ting entered. Spotting him, Yang immediately approached. "Brother Lin, His Majesty found you? So you two—"

Lin Ting nodded. "I ran into him on my second day in Caihua City. We’ve cleared up our misunderstandings." He paused, then added, "Thank you for your advice. It worked perfectly."

Yang Gongming smiled warmly. "That’s wonderful."

Noticing Yang’s packed belongings, as if preparing for a long journey, Lin Ting asked, "I heard the assignments have been announced? Where have you been posted?"

Yang Gongming replied, "I’ve been assigned as the magistrate of Nanxi County. I’ll be assuming office shortly; I’m leaving tomorrow morning."

Lin Ting was surprised. "So far away?" Nanxi County was near the coast, not far from Caihua City but separated from Great Yong’s capital by over a thousand miles.

He had assumed someone like Yang Gongming, the top scholar, would remain in the imperial court to make his mark. Why had he been sent to the provinces?

His breath hitched. "After I left, did His Majesty… give you any trouble?"

Yang Gongming shook his head. "His Majesty never came to see me."

A suspicion stirred in Lin Ting’s heart. After all, it was Yang Gongming who had suggested he flee. Could it be…?

Brimming with questions, he returned to his residence. As the sun was dipping, he spotted Eunuch Zhao standing at the gate, flanked by several junior eunuchs, each holding a small box.

Seeing him approach, Zhao Dehai smiled warmly. "His Majesty sent this old man to inquire if Lord Lin has been feeling better these past few days."

"His Majesty has been aching to see Lord Lin. At night, he even murmurs Lord Lin’s name in his sleep."

Lin Ting’s ears burned. He fidgeted with his fingers inside his sleeves. Truthfully, he had been missing Pei Xingjian too…

"Well, in that case… I’ll go to the palace tonight."

That evening, Pei Xingjian received several ministers in Chonghua Hall. Having been away for over half a month, countless matters had piled up, demanding his attention.

Only after the ministers left did he rub the bridge of his nose, exhaustion flickering in his eyes.

His gaze drifted to a clumsily written note tucked beneath the desk corner, and his chest burned like kindling.

The presence of a certain person seemed to whisper in his ear.

Six days—it had been six full days since their return, and they hadn’t seen each other once. Every time he sent a eunuch to inquire, the reply was the same: "Lord Lin says he has matters to attend to and will not come today."

Six days without so much as a glance in his direction.

At first, Pei Xingjian had remained composed. The romance novels Zhao Dehai procured for him emphasized giving one’s beloved alone time, and he understood Lin Ting might occasionally want solitude. But after so many days, the other man hadn’t even shown his face.

He couldn’t help but question himself—had he done something wrong?

Or perhaps… had he failed to satisfy Lin Ting in bed?

Back in Caihua City, Lin Ting had always been too shy to make a sound at night, his body flushed pink, trembling with restraint. The sight had driven Pei Xingjian to go wild, and by the time they left, Lin Ting’s legs were jelly.

Maybe he had gone too far.

A restless heat coiled in his chest, a wave of heat and desire pooling lower. Emotions he couldn’t voice gathered thickly.

Pei Xingjian gritted his teeth and reached under his robes.

Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door, followed by a voice he hadn’t heard in days: "Your Majesty, are you in there?"

Pei Xingjian’s hand stilled. He withdrew it abruptly, his voice rough. "Enter."

Lin Ting pushed the door open to find Pei Xingjian perched rigidly behind the imperial desk, a book in hand, pretending to read.

After a moment of observation, Lin Ting approached and tapped the page. "The book is upside down, Xingjian."

The figure before him stiffened for a split second before calmly flipping the book right side up.

"Oh."

Lin Ting suppressed a smile, pressed the book flat against the desk, and leaned forward, tilting his head to meet Pei Xingjian’s gaze.

The man’s eyes were lowered, following his movements. A faint flush tinged the corners of his eyes, his gaze heavy with unmistakable longing.

Lin Ting knew that look all too well—it was the same one Pei Xingjian had worn every night in Caihua City.

The thought of what would happen tonight sent a shiver through him. He steadied himself and asked, keeping his voice even, "What was Your Majesty doing just now?"

Pei Xingjian, caught mid-mischief: "..."

After a pause, he replied, "I am a man." His gaze burned over Lin Ting’s face, his throat bobbing.

Lin Ting nodded. "This subject is aware."

The next moment, his wrist was seized, and he was yanked forward, sprawled diagonally across the imperial desk.

"I—"

His lips were seized in a fierce kiss, his vision darkened.

Any feeble protest was lost to ragged breaths.

Trapped in this position, Lin Ting had no choice but to endure as Pei Xingjian kissed him deeply. Only when the candlelight flickered wildly did the other man finally break away.

Lin Ting could barely stand. Some deeply buried memories resurfaced in his mind, his legs trembling as he tried to negotiate, "Your Majesty, could we take it easy tonight?" Whether Pei Xingjian could handle it or not, he didn’t know, but he himself was completely spent.

It would take weeks to recover.

Pei Xingjian chuckled softly, his eyes drinking in the sight of Lin Ting’s flushed cheeks. "We'll discuss that tonight."

Then, he tapped the desk lightly with his fingertips. "There’s still some unfinished business today. Come, prepare the ink for me."

Lin Ting caught his breath and stood beside Pei Xingjian.

Pei Xingjian glanced at him and summoned Zhao Dehai to bring a stool for him.

Lin Ting sat beside him, grinding ink.

Amid the flickering candlelight, the hall lay hushed. Zhao Dehai glimpsed through the doorway and found the scene before him particularly warm and tender.

After a while, Lin Ting heard Pei Xingjian ask, "What have you been doing these past few days?"

Lin Ting looked up at him—weren’t Zhuo and Qingshan following him all along? Why not ask them?

Pei Xingjian paused mid-brushstroke. "I only ordered them to guard your residence, not to follow you outside."

In other words, when he went out, he was accompanied only by his own guards.

Lin Ting felt warmth spread through him. "Actually, I didn’t go anywhere these past few days." Then he realized that wasn’t entirely true. "Well, this morning I went to Nanxiang Temple to see Yang Gongming."

Pei Xingjian shot him a questioning look.

Lin Ting immediately raised his hands. "I wasn't plotting with him about anything!" Since the topic had come up—

"I heard from Yang Gongming that he’s been assigned to Nanxi County, far from the capital. Was it... because of me?"

Before he could finish, Pei Xingjian grabbed his hand, fingertips lightly tapping his wrist. "Yes."

Lin Ting’s eyes widened.

"But also no."

The weight in his chest lifted.

"Nanxi County borders the sea and is Great Yong’s largest salt-producing region. In recent years, local officials and merchants have colluded to embezzle salt fields. I needed someone upright to root out the corruption in the local government."

Lin Ting thought it over—the arrangement made sense. After all, in the original timeline, Yang Gongming had always been straightforward, which was precisely why he was unpopular in official circles.

Lin Ting accepted the explanation.

***

That night, after washing up, Lin Ting slipped into the imperial bed first.

The bed had been warmed with a hot water bottle, and as soon as he slipped in, he was enveloped in cozy warmth. Bundled in the covers, he sighed contentedly. "I really don’t want to come out."

A figure appeared beside him as Pei Xingjian removed his outer robe and changed into sleepwear, then lifted the quilt.

Lin Ting rolled inward and patted the empty space beside him. "It’s cold outside. Come in quickly."

Pei Xingjian raised an eyebrow. "Inviting me?"

Lin Ting immediately retracted his hand and turned his back to Pei Xingjian. "Sleep, sleep."

A rustling sound came from behind, and after a few breaths, a warm chest pressed against his back.

Pei Xingjian embraced him, turning him around to face him, only to find Lin Ting tense all over, eyes tightly shut as if afraid to look at him.

Pei Xingjian laughed. "After so many times, are you still scared?"

Lin Ting’s eyelashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes—only to see Pei Xingjian hovering over him once again.

The hall’s underfloor heating made the bed delightfully warm. The figure above leaned down.

The air between them grew charged, thin breaths mingling in their chests. Lin Ting writhed under the intensity, his moans melting into wet, breathless gasps.

In his daze, it seemed someone guided his hand to press against something.

***

The next morning, Lin Ting could hardly move.

He lay sprawled on the bed, staring at the familiar canopy above.

Then he covered his eyes with his hands. Ah, what indulgence!

After gathering his resolve, he called out, "Attendant!"

Qingzi pushed the door open. "Minister Lin, His Majesty has instructed that you were exhausted last night and should rest at ease. You may rise whenever you wish. If you’re hungry, I'll bring your meal to the bed."

Lin Ting glanced at the sacred imperial bed and couldn’t bring himself to eat in such a dignified place. He threw off the quilt and got up.

Qingzi immediately brought over a thick fur-lined cloak and an outer robe. Lin Ting pointed at the cloak. "This one."

They'd been at it until dawn. Pei Xingjian had endless energy, but he didn’t. After eating, he planned to go right back to sleep.

Qingzi and the palace servants laid out the meal on the table.

As Lin Ting approached, he noticed several sheets of paper weighed down beneath something on the desk. He picked them up and saw words like "marriage contract" and "joined in marriage..."

He turned them over and over, finally confirming—this was a marriage document.

The next sheet was an imperial edict elevating him to princely rank.

Lin Ting clutched the papers and asked Qingzi, "What is this?"

Qingzi smiled. "His Majesty placed them there before leaving for court, so you’d see them when you woke."

Lin Ting felt as if an electric shock ran through him. That marriage contract—he had only mentioned it in passing. He never expected Pei Xingjian to take it to heart.

After eating, Lin Ting contentedly returned to bed.

As soon as court concluded, Pei Xingjian hurried to Xiangning Hall. Upon entering, he spotted a figure reclining on the grand bed.

Hearing the commotion, Lin Ting turned his head. "Your Majesty, you’re back." He sat up and handed the papers on the table to him. "I only said it casually. I didn’t think you’d remember so clearly."

Pei Xingjian sat on the edge of the bed, gently stroking Lin Ting’s hair, the silk of his hair slipping through his fingers.

"I want to give you the best. Though I don’t understand what a ‘marriage certificate’ is in your world, I imagine it serves the same purpose as a traditional marriage contract. We are just an ordinary couple."

Lin Ting then pulled out the next sheet. "And what’s this about making me a prince? I don’t know anything. Wouldn’t it be improper to bestow such an honor?"

Pei Xingjian smiled. "Minister Lin saved the kingdom. I’ve discussed it with the Prince of Yan. At the year-end ceremony, you’ll be created Prince Ling, to share in this golden age with me. There’s no need to worry."

Lin Ting still couldn’t believe it. He was really going to be a prince?

In the following days, as the New Year's rites approached, the palace was bustling with activity. Amidst the busyness, only Lin Ting lazed idly on a rocking chair in the courtyard of Xiangning Hall.

Pei Xingjian was even more swamped, drowning in year-end petitions that seemed to pile up faster than he could read them.

In the midst of it all, the annual rites finally arrived.

On that day, the cold winter sun broke through unusually.

Officials paid their respects in court. Lin Ting, who had been lounging in Xiangning Hall for days, finally stepped out of the palace gates.

Civil and military officials gave him knowing nods, leaving Lin Ting a little flustered.

As the bells and drums sounded, Lin Ting stood below the platform, listening to the proclamation above—something about "heaven's auspicious fortune..." and the like.

The previous night, Pei Xingjian had worn him out until daybreak, leaving him utterly exhausted.

Seizing the moment when no one was paying attention, he hid in the crowd and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment.

"...enfeoff Lin Ting as Prince Ling." The sudden announcement from above snapped him awake.

The surrounding ministers all turned their gazes toward him, though no one objected. After all, the Emperor's ailing head had just recovered, and they were more than happy for Lord Lin to remain by His Majesty's side at all times.

Though Lin Ting had mentally prepared himself, hearing those words unexpectedly still made his chest tighten. He lifted his eyes to the high platform.

Pei Xingjian stood in ceremonial robes, his expression unreadable under the twelve-tasseled crown, his dark eyes fixed on Lin Ting.

Zhao Dehai finished reading the decree, and Lin Ting stepped forward to receive it, his gaze meeting Pei Xingjian's.

As their eyes locked, Lin Ting suddenly smiled.

Pei Xingjian's lips curved in response.

Together, through all the years to come.