Chapter 166

Chapter 166

Shen Qichi’s dance and the final, striking embroidered ball not only stunned Su Ying but also amazed the kingfisher spirit. Snapping out of it, it chirped excitedly, circling around the two of them.

Su Ying clutched the silk ball tightly, holding the person just as firmly.

He pressed his hand against the back of Shen Qichi’s neck, closed his eyes, and captured his lips, prying open his teeth, pouring out all the emotions in his heart into this kiss.

The longsword had fallen to the ground at some point, letting out a clang that no one heeded. Shen Qichi let out a muffled groan, his hands gripping the fabric at Su Ying’s waist, a flush creeping up his face.

Only when his lips were numb did he gather enough strength to push Su Ying away. A silver thread stretched and snapped. Shen Qichi opened his eyes to meet a pair of dazed purple eyes.

His cheeks on fire, he looked away from Su Ying, and forgot to wipe his lips. He took the delicate silk ball from Su Ying’s hand and tied it to the purple jade snake pendant at his waist.

Su Ying stared at him intently, letting his fingers deftly work around his waist. They were still standing extremely close, making it awkward for Shen Qichi to tie it, but neither of them moved back.

When Su Hai arrived, this was the scene he saw.

His mouth fell open, but his view was blocked by Shen Shan’s tall figure. When Shen Shan moved aside, Shen Qichi in the garden had already distanced himself from the other person, looking a bit embarrassed but mostly calm as ever.

“Your Grace,” he said slowly, the blush on his cheeks not yet fully faded.

Su Hai was still in shock, his gaze repeatedly flickering between Shen Qichi’s swollen, moist lips and those of the person beside him, his heart in a storm.

Shen Shan hung his head, awkward and regretful.

Chirp.

A bird chirped at the worst possible time.

Su Hai shifted his eyes, watching a sleek, glossy kingfisher land on the shoulder of that stoic Northern Frontier man. Its glossy black eyes and the man’s enchanting purple eyes both fixed on him. He shivered, and only when Shen Qichi called him again did he snap out of it.

“Your Grace, your sudden visit—did His Majesty summon me?” Shen Qichi’s expression had returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.

“…No, not that.” Su Hai slowly pulled a gold box from his sleeve, having completely forgotten the nice words he had prepared for the emperor on the way. He said flatly, “This is what His Majesty ordered me to give you.”

The gleaming gold box was hard to miss. Shen Qichi’s heart skipped a beat, and he stepped forward. Su Ying moved slightly, then followed after a moment.

The gold box was only half a palm in size. Shen Qichi took it from Su Hai, opened it, and inside was a bead carved from red coral, less than half an inch but undoubtedly extraordinary.

Shen Qichi froze, fumbled to shut the gold box, and looked at Su Hai.

Su Hai nodded.

Shen Qichi took a deep breath, trying to contain his excitement, stepped back, knelt and bowed low: “Thank you for Your Majesty’s gift. I am deeply grateful.”

Su Ying was taken aback and instinctively reached out to support him, but Shen Qichi’s determination to kneel was so firm that he was pulled down with him. The kingfisher spirit almost fell over, stumbling before fluttering to a nearby branch.

Su Hai hadn’t expected Shen Qichi to react this way either. He quickly stepped aside to get out of the way, bending down to help Shen Qichi up: “Mr. Shen, why such a big deal? If His Majesty were here, he wouldn’t want you to be so formal with him.” He glanced at Su Ying, then quickly looked away, withdrawing his hand as Shen Qichi stood up. “Since the item has been delivered, I’ll go back to report. …Please, don’t bother seeing me out.” Without waiting for Shen Qichi’s reply, he turned and left hastily.

“…Sorry, master, I didn’t know you were…” Shen Shan scratched his head, confused, glancing at the silk ball he had just bought in a rush, now hanging at Su Ying’s waist. He opened his mouth, then closed it. “I’ll go see the eunuch off.”

Su Ying looked at Shen Qichi, bewildered, not quite understanding what had just happened.

“…Ah…!”

Shen Qichi grabbed him, clutching the gold box in his other hand, and hurried out. They went straight to the study. Only then did Shen Qichi let go, immediately reached under the antique shelf to pull out a few items.

Su Ying watched as he took out the red bead, casually set the gold box aside, fiddled with the bead for a second, and then walked toward him.

He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could ask, something cold touched his neck.

He looked down and saw the reddish-brown bead, threaded with a vermilion cord—clearly taken from the red cord at Shen Qichi’s waist—dangling just below his collarbone.

“Giving me something else?” he asked, puzzled. “The emperor’s gift… What’s so special about this bead?”

Shen Qichi’s joy was unmistakable, his eyes shining brightly. He touched the coral bead. “It looks good on you. Don’t take it off, okay?”

Su Ying glanced at the bead around his neck, then at Shen Qichi, and slowly nodded.

Suddenly, his gaze stopped, landing on the window frame behind Shen Qichi.

A ray of sunlight was climbing over it.

Shen Qichi followed his gaze, not turning back for a long time. Su Ying heard him murmur, “It’s done.”

*

Back in the palace, Su Hai steadied his nerves, adjusted his sleeves, and headed toward the Xuanzheng Hall. But just outside the hall, he unexpectedly ran into Hui Jing.

He paused, bowed slightly, and before Hui Jing could return a Buddhist greeting, asked, “Abbot, where are you headed?”

Hui Jing lowered his eyes and returned the greeting before replying, “I have troubled the palace for too long. There are many Buddhist affairs at the temple, so it’s time for me to return.”

Su Hai breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Over the past few days, Hui Jing had visited His Majesty like clockwork every day, and though the emperor was annoyed, he couldn’t show it openly. Only after Hui Jing left did His Majesty reveal some impatience, leaving those of us serving in the hall walking on eggshells.

Hui Jing’s departure was something Su Hai welcomed.

He kept his expression neutral. Seeing no palace attendants escorting Hui Jing, he feigned a few scolds about the servants’ incompetence and said to Hui Jing, “Abbot, wait here a moment. I’ll arrange a carriage.”

“No need to trouble yourself.” Hui Jing shook his head. “I have already taken my leave of His Majesty.” He paused, then added, “The clouds have scattered, the rain has stopped, and the sky is clear. It is time for me to take my leave as well.” With another bow, he bypassed Su Hai and walked away.

Su Hai watched him go, muttering to himself after a while: Monks always speak in riddles.

He shook his head and continued toward the Xuanzheng Hall. There were few attendants inside. The emperor sat high on his throne. Su Hai first reported that the item had been delivered, then, after a moment’s thought, swallowed what he had seen.

He waited, bowing, but no question came. He risked a glance and saw the emperor’s face heavy with contemplation, a hint of doubt between his brows.

Assuming it was due to Hui Jing’s Buddhist discussions upsetting the emperor, Su Hai lowered his head and kept silent, afraid to provoke his wrath.

After a long while, the emperor finally spoke, but asked an unexpected question.

“You said Yunzhuo has married. How did you learn this?”

Su Hai’s mind involuntarily flashed back to the scene in the Shen family’s pear garden. After a moment’s hesitation, he said, “Mr. Shen himself told this servant.”

The emperor frowned, his gaze falling back on the secret letter sent by the imperial guard courier. It detailed how Shen Qichi had gone to the Southern Barbarian lands, settled in a small mountain village, what he had done there over the years, and whom he had befriended.

In the first two years, many families had proposed marriage to Shen Qichi, but all were rejected. After repeated refusals, people gradually stopped bothering to play matchmaker for him. Up until shortly before he left the village, Shen Qichi had remained solitary.

It wasn’t until last autumn that Shen Qichi suddenly brought a man from the Northern Frontier home.

The emperor rubbed his brow, the sound of Hui Jing’s Buddhist discussions still buzzing in his ears. He set the letter aside and asked, “How did Yunzhuo react when he received the item?”

“Mr. Shen… was very happy.”

“How happy?”

Su Hai thought for a moment and said, “The last time this servant saw Mr. Shen that happy was when Your Majesty ascended the throne.”

The emperor frowned almost imperceptibly, sensing something odd about the matter. After a moment’s deliberation, he said, “Have the two palace maids assigned to Yunzhuo’s service pay close attention in their duties.”

Su Hai acknowledged, understanding this meant the palace maids were to keep an eye on him.

"Summon the officials from the Ministry of Rites."

*

In the third month, with peach blossoms blushing pink and willows turning green, scholars from various prefectures and counties gradually entered the capital, gathering in teahouses and inns to discuss literature over wine.

The capital was a constant buzz of noise, but Shen Qichi turned a deaf ear to the world outside. The Dragon-Eye Pearl, steeped for centuries in the true dragon’s aura at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, was enough to fool the Heavenly Dao into thinking Su Ying had already weathered his tribulation and turned into a dragon. Though it couldn't fool it forever, it was more than enough to shield the snake demon from thunder tribulations for decades.

With that weight off his chest, Shen Qichi no longer felt compelled to enter the palace daily. He freed up plenty of time to roam the capital with the two demons, occasionally visiting his mentor, using that as an excuse to turn away all visitors. But it wasn't long before the snake demon's fierce mating season kept him stuck at home.

"I... I don't know why this is happening. It's never been like this before," Su Ying said, lying on top of him, his eyes blazing red, his tail tip coiled tight around one of Shen Qichi's ankles.

Shen Qichi covered his eyes, only snapping back to reality after a long moment, realizing what the snake demon had said. He lowered his hand, his rosy lips parted slightly as he exhaled, his unfocused gaze fixed on the ceiling before finally meeting the snake's gleaming, vertical pupils.

A cool coral bead hung from Su Ying's neck, dangling over Shen Qichi's chest. He shifted his leg, only to have the snake's tail tighten even more intimately, bringing a fullness that was hard to describe.

"Slow... slower," he whispered.

Stuck indoors like that, indulging in debauchery until they lost all track of time, the snake demon's mating season gradually faded with the warming spring. Yet compared to autumn and winter, their intimate encounters were still far more frequent. By the time Shen Qichi finally stepped foot outside the courtyard, he learned that the spring examinations had already concluded, and the results would soon be announced.

He sighed, silently blaming himself for losing all self-control, but Su Ying mistakenly thought he was angry and hurriedly rubbed his waist, offering a placating smile.

If he hadn't touched it, the soreness in his waist might've been bearable. Shen Qichi tried to sit upright at first, but soon slumped against the snake demon.

The two never bothered to hide their relationship from the household staff, so over time, the sharper old servants had more or less figured out the nature of their bond. From initial shock and worry, they'd gradually come to accept it.

As long as the master had someone to keep him company.

—That was the prevailing sentiment among the household.

But there were exceptions.

Not far off, two palace maids exchanged glances and quietly slipped out.

Before long, a secret letter was placed on the emperor's desk.

'Master Shen lives day and night with a man from the household, sharing meals and sleep... engaging in constant intimacy without cease...'

The emperor slammed the letter down, his face pale as ash.

"Absurd!" he roared, though he couldn't pinpoint the source of his fury. "How dare those palace maids write such nonsense to deceive me! Such audacity!"

Su Hai dared not breathe, waiting until the emperor's anger subsided before speaking. "Your Majesty... in this old servant's view..." He hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth. "What the maids saw may not be false."

The emperor's eyes shot up, piercing Su Hai like a sword. "What do you mean by that?"

"I have visited the Shen residence several times..." Su Hai slowly recounted what he had witnessed.

The emperor's expression darkened further. Suddenly, he recalled a day when he had discussed Buddhist teachings with Hui Jing. The elderly monk, over fifty, had fingered his prayer beads and said, "All conditioned things are impermanent, subject to arising and ceasing. How can Your Majesty be sure that those around you have never changed?"

"Sudden pleasures are enough to blind the eyes and mind."

He had never liked such cryptic nonsense and had only wanted to dismiss the monk quickly without giving it much thought. But now, reflecting on it, Hui Jing—who always knew when to stop and never stayed overnight in the palace—had repeatedly sought audiences with the emperor to discuss Buddhist scriptures. He always came to Xuanzheng Hall after Shen Qichi left, casually dropping ambiguous remarks that clearly carried hidden meaning.

The emperor rubbed his brow, suddenly afraid to delve into Shen Qichi's purpose for returning to the capital.

He and Shen Qichi had grown up together, bound by childhood friendship and shared hardships. He considered himself the one who understood Shen Qichi best in the world. Regardless of why Shen Qichi had returned, he surely meant no harm.

But look at what he was doing now—consorting with a man of unknown origin, even engaging in debauchery in broad daylight. Was this still the Shen Yunzhuo he knew, the most disciplined, proper, and upright man, nicknamed "Little Stickler" by his peers since childhood?

"And there is one more thing..."

Su Hai hesitated before saying, "This old servant has heard that every time Master Shen visits the Qiu residence, he brings that northern man with him. First, they adjust their attire, then they perform the grand ritual of bowing together."

"..."

Speechless, the emperor let out a cold laugh.

When he was still a prince, he had brought his newlywed wife to pay respects to Qiu Fangsheng, performing the grand ritual together to make it clear to his mentor: "This is my wife."

"Prepare my robes," the emperor said, each word deliberate. "I am leaving the palace."