Chapter 32

He had said “now,” but it was actually several days later before Li Zhaoyi finally saw Lu Zhong.

He had wanted to see Lu Zhong immediately.

Until he saw him, he wouldn’t be able to rest easy.

But his heart was willing while his body was weak.

When his legs gave out and he pitched straight into Yun Yin’s arms, Li Zhaoyi’s plan was temporarily shelved. If he met Lu Zhong like this, the man would definitely see through him.

Lu Zhong had never liked him being too close to Yun Yin.

If he knew…

Li Zhaoyi pressed his lips together. He asked Yun Yin cautiously, “Can we keep our… matter a secret from Master?”

Yun Yin: “.”

He looked into Li Zhaoyi’s clear, limpid eyes and ultimately did not tell him the harsh words he had once spoken to Lu Zhong. Nor did he tell Li Zhaoyi that even if he said nothing, Lu Zhong could probably guess what had happened between them.

He simply said, “Alright.”

Once they met, Li Zhaoyi would find out anyway.

He was so agreeable that Li Zhaoyi felt a little unused to it.

But before he could speak, the other man leaned down and touched his lips.

It started as a tentative, fleeting kiss. Li Zhaoyi’s lashes fluttered, memories of the previous night surging back. He was a little afraid, but didn’t dare duck away. Yun Yin pried open his lips and teeth, kissing him deeply and thoroughly.

Before long, Li Zhaoyi’s eyes grew dazed again.

Yun Yin’s finger brushed over his lips. His gaze was dark, but he let him go.

He said softly, “Since we’re not going, then sleep a little longer. Your Majesty barely slept last night, be careful you don’t get a headache this afternoon.”

Li Zhaoyi opened his mouth.

“This subject will stay with Your Majesty,” Yun Yin said. “I won’t do anything else.”

He carried Li Zhaoyi back to bed and tucked him in. This time, he truly did nothing else.

Li Zhaoyi had been restless, but gradually, wrapped in that familiar scent, he actually drifted off hazily into sleep.

This time, he didn’t dream.

Over the next few days, due to his… limited mobility, Li Zhaoyi stayed in Bright Clarity Hall.

He didn’t go out much anyway, so he didn’t feel particularly cooped up.

But Yun Yin stayed with him in Bright Clarity Hall as well. Whether it was official business or anything else, everything was moved here. He never hid anything from Li Zhaoyi.

Listening in, Li Zhaoyi felt restless and anxious.

He very much wanted to ask Yun Yin, didn’t you always think I had ill intentions? But he also felt it was truly unnecessary. After all, Yun Yin now knew his greatest trump card was Lu Zhong. Given Yun Yin’s nature, making one slip-up was already an anomaly; he would absolutely not make a second.

Sure enough, when Mu Ke came to deliver his meal again and Li Zhaoyi asked him, the man didn’t answer directly, but he didn’t deny it either.

He merely said, “Your Majesty, the Prince generally isn’t wrong about people.”

Yun Yin was still discussing matters. Mu Ke set a bowl of porridge before Li Zhaoyi and handed him a spoon. Beside it was a plate of small, rabbit-shaped steamed buns with molten custard filling, meant as an after-meal treat.

These past days, Mu Ke had personally delivered every meal.

A distinguished Covert Guard reduced to a meal delivery boy—Li Zhaoyi felt rather embarrassed. But Mu Ke said it was for his safety.

Li Zhaoyi seemed to understand, yet not quite.

One problem was solved, but another remained. He purposely tried to find out how Lu Zhong was doing and leaned in a bit closer. As fate would have it, Yun Yin walked in from the outer room at that moment. His expression was calm, but he shot a glance at Mu Ke, who immediately bowed and withdrew.

Before the door could even close, Yun Yin kissed Li Zhaoyi.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mu Ke’s hand pause on the door, but he was kissed breathless, left only with the ability to gasp.

When the kiss ended, Yun Yin pinched his cheek. An intimate gesture.

He said, “Eat.”

Once Li Zhaoyi finished eating, he added, “Your Majesty, if there’s anything you want to know, you can ask this subject directly.”

And so Li Zhaoyi understood.

Yun Yin didn’t like him being close with anyone, not just Lu Zhong.

In the end, he didn’t ask.

Since he didn’t ask, Yun Yin didn’t answer either.

After the meal, Li Zhaoyi sat in the courtyard for a while. A servant came to report that Yun Yin had gone out and sent word that Li Zhaoyi shouldn’t wait for him and could eat dinner on his own. He paused for a moment, then nodded.

It was strange. When he hadn’t known Yun Yin was gone, he hadn’t felt anything.

But knowing Yun Yin had left, the courtyard suddenly seemed desolate. He looked up at the overcast sky and stood in a daze for a long time.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t felt the shift in Yun Yin’s attitude.

Before, when they hadn’t done anything more intimate, although Yun Yin often teased him and frequently spent time in Bright Clarity Hall, to Li Zhaoyi, he was more like an elder brother than a subject.

He hired the best teachers for Li Zhaoyi and guided him in state affairs.

He took Li Zhaoyi out of the palace, bought him things he liked, and taught him to ride a horse.

Just like any elder brother doting on a younger brother in the world.

Back then, it wasn’t that Yun Yin had no intentions towards him, but he exercised remarkable restraint. Even after losing control while drunk, they were only occasionally ambiguous afterward. Most of the time, their interactions were normal.

But…

From that night onward, everything changed.

Yun Yin still treated him well.

But this wasn’t the kind of care an elder brother would give; it was the care of a… lover.

These past two days, because Li Zhaoyi couldn’t move freely, Yun Yin personally attended to everything, meticulously handling every detail—from the menu to his choice of clothing. Everything had to pass through his hands.

The day after that first night, likely because he hadn’t been cleaned properly in time, Li Zhaoyi developed a low fever.

Yun Yin summoned an Imperial Physician and had medicine prescribed.

Li Zhaoyi was burning up and groggy. Propped against the pillows, when Yun Yin told him to open his mouth, he obediently did. The bitter herbal medicine, cooled to lukewarm, was spoon-fed to him. The Imperial Physician stood to the side, barely daring to lift his head, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

However discreet the matter, once a prescription for an external anti-inflammatory ointment was written, the truth became glaringly obvious.

Li Zhaoyi, of course, was unaware of this.

His mouth was filled with the bitter taste of the medicine. When he finished, Yun Yin told him to open his mouth again.

He did, and this time, a sweet piece of Candied Fruit was slipped inside.

The sweet treat was in his mouth, and he chewed subconsciously.

Yun Yin asked him, “Your Majesty, is it sweet?”

He nodded.

Yun Yin smiled slightly and said, “Then let this subject have a taste as well.”

He kissed Li Zhaoyi.

Not forcefully, but with a careless, unhurried pressure.

By the time one piece of Candied Fruit had been “shared,” Li Zhaoyi was kissed into utter limpness.

And that wasn’t the only instance.

There were many more.

During the day, to anyone unaware, they appeared as a monarch and his subject sharing an extraordinarily close bond.

At night, Li Zhaoyi would bite his pillow, muffling his soft sobs into the blanket, his whole body trembling.

Actually, Yun Yin hadn’t planned on doing anything. It was Li Zhaoyi who initiated. He still hadn’t learned to kiss properly and could only clumsily touch the man, from his chin down to his Adam’s apple. As he fumbled, his wrist was suddenly pinned down.

In the end, they didn’t go all the way, but the insides of his thighs were rubbed raw and sore.

Because of this, the planned schedule was pushed back another few days. But Li Zhaoyi didn’t regret it.

By now, what Yun Yin wanted from him was crystal clear. He didn’t know anything, couldn’t do anything, and the reason he could sit steadily on this throne was because Yun Yin had a desire… an appetite for him.

The gratitude he cared about meant nothing to Yun Yin.

The imperative now was to protect Lu Zhong. To do that, he could only grasp onto what Yun Yin valued.

His objective was obvious. Afterward, Yun Yin’s expression wasn’t actually very good. But Li Zhaoyi knew Yun Yin couldn’t resist him. And that was enough.

He felt as though he had changed, too.

He coldly dissected his relationship with Yun Yin, exploiting Yun Yin’s concern for him.

Li Zhaoyi felt he had become bad. Scheming and cunning.

This thought made him feel a trace of guilt even before he went to see Lu Zhong.

But when he actually saw Lu Zhong, he forgot everything else.

The visit to Lu Zhong took place late one night.

Yun Yin truly had no intention of punishing Lu Zhong severely.

Very few people knew that Lu Zhong had smuggled Li Zhaoyi out of the palace. Lu Zhong was to work for Yun Yin in the future, and the label of a traitor would make it impossible for him to establish authority.

When Li Zhaoyi learned this, he was immensely grateful to Yun Yin.

His way of showing gratitude was with a kiss. Yun Yin’s expression wasn’t great, but he didn’t stop him.

At last, Yun Yin said, “Uncle Lu practically watched me grow up.”

The reckless abandon of youth wasn’t truly growing up. True growth was the sobering, tempering clarity bought with countless lives amidst blood and storms. Lu Zhong had followed Yun Yin for a long time; there was some feeling between them, after all.

Li Zhaoyi fell silent.

After a moment, he said very sincerely, “You’re a good superior.”

Trust the people you use, and don’t use those you doubt.

Yun Yin had given Lu Zhong his complete and utter trust.

And his judgment wasn’t wrong.

If not for Li Zhaoyi, Lu Zhong would never have resorted to such a desperate measure. And even with Li Zhaoyi in the picture, Lu Zhong hadn’t betrayed Yun Yin in any other matter. Otherwise, Changping wouldn’t have been unable to gain any advantage at all.

And even knowing what Lu Zhong had done, Yun Yin was still willing to use him.

Such boldness of vision was not something ordinary people possessed.

Li Zhaoyi had just initiated a kiss with Yun Yin, who had looked displeased. But this single word of praise actually improved Yun Yin’s mood.

He said flatly, “If Your Majesty truly thinks this subject is good, then do fewer things that make me worry.”

He paused, then added, “And your master, too.”

Li Zhaoyi looked up at the sky.

The two of them walked together into Lu Zhong’s residence. The Shadow Guards were posted outside.

The moment he entered, Li Zhaoyi saw Lu Zhong lying on his stomach, dressed in a thin robe, flipping through a book.

It was such an ordinary scene, yet his eyes suddenly stung with heat. He desperately fought back the tears about to fall. He steadied himself with great effort for a long time before he could keep his voice steady. He called out softly, “Master.”

Lu Zhong’s hand froze mid-page, and a moment later, he looked towards the door with utter disbelief.

Li Zhaoyi hadn’t forgotten who was standing beside him.

He glanced tentatively at Yun Yin, and only when he saw no objection did he approach the bedside.

As he drew near, he saw the thick bandages wrapped around Lu Zhong’s body. His eyelashes trembled, and for a moment, he couldn’t speak.

Lu Zhong… had done all this for him.

While he remained silent, Lu Zhong was also looking at him.

Almost the instant he saw Li Zhaoyi, Lu Zhong’s heart sank.

The changes in Li Zhaoyi were subtle, but Lu Zhong was a Eunuch who had spent over twenty years in the palace. He had seen such things countless times. His young disciple still had that beautiful, clean face, but there was a subtle difference now in the corners of his eyes and brows.

Sometimes, it only took a few days of cultivation for a fruit to ripen from green to full maturity.

What’s more, within the slightly open collar of Li Zhaoyi’s robe, he saw the utterly unconcealed, bruising red and purple marks.

Lu Zhong’s lips pressed tightly together.

Li Zhaoyi was still inspecting his injuries. Lu Zhong raised his eyes and met the gaze of Yun Yin, who was leaning against the doorframe. The man offered him a mild, courteous smile, now completely devoid of the faint loss of control he’d shown during their previous standoff.

Yun Yin said, “Uncle Lu, how is your injury healing?”

His words pulled everyone in the room back to the present.

Li Zhaoyi looked at Lu Zhong and also spoke softly: “Master, does it still hurt?”

Lu Zhong didn’t answer him. Instead, he said in a hoarse voice, “Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. A few more days of rest, and I should be about fine.”

Yun Yin nodded. “That is good.”

“If you need any medicinal herbs,” he said, “don’t hesitate to ask the Imperial Medical Institute.”

“Once Uncle Lu’s injuries are healed, I have a few matters I will need to trouble Uncle Lu to handle for me.”

These words were purely for reassurance.

Hearing this, Li Zhaoyi visibly relaxed.

But Lu Zhong remained expressionless.

Suddenly, he said, “Your Highness, might this subordinate have a word alone with Little… with His Majesty?”

Li Zhaoyi’s heart lurched.

He hadn’t expected Lu Zhong to be so bold and was about to smooth things over for him when he heard Yun Yin say, “Fine. You two talk.”

He addressed Li Zhaoyi, “Your Majesty, this subject will go look at the flowers outside.”

With that, he actually left, leaving Lu Zhong and Li Zhaoyi alone together.

Li Zhaoyi was still in a daze when Yun Yin’s silhouette disappeared through the doorway.

Only when Lu Zhong called him, his voice very hoarse, “Little Highness,” did he look towards the man in a fluster.

Lu Zhong looked at him and sighed softly.

Li Zhaoyi thought he was going to ask something, like why he had come back, or about his current relationship with Yun Yin. All of them were questions he couldn’t answer. He tensed for a moment. But Lu Zhong didn’t ask anything.

He just said calmly, “Little Highness, now that you’ve returned on this trip, it will be very difficult to leave again.”

At the very least, he could no longer help Li Zhaoyi.

But aside from him, who else could consider Li Zhaoyi’s interests so unreservedly?

Now, the possibility of Li Zhaoyi leaving the palace was almost zero.

Li Zhaoyi came back to his senses. Because of Lu Zhong’s forbearance and understanding, his nose tingled.

“…I know,” he said. “Master.”

But his voice held little regret.

Lu Zhong looked at him with a complex expression.

After that, Lu Zhong didn’t say much more about their escape attempt, nor did he mention the coup. He simply told Li Zhaoyi briefly about the Shadow Guard’s affairs and the assignments he would likely be handling in the future.

Within the palace, meeting would be much more convenient now.

Li Zhaoyi breathed a sigh of relief.

They chatted idly about various things. This time, there was no need to guard against anything.

It was only in this moment that Li Zhaoyi finally perceived the single advantage of his relationship with Lu Zhong being exposed.

He wanted to chat with Lu Zhong a while longer, but Lu Zhong was constantly aware of the window.

At a certain moment, he said, “Alright, Little Highness.”

“There are still many days ahead,” he said.

Li Zhaoyi was a bit reluctant to leave.

But Lu Zhong had already closed his eyes again. His wounds were still somewhat painful, and by now, his breathing had become heavier. Li Zhaoyi could only stand up and say, “Master, I will come see you again next time.”

He didn’t even know if there would be a next time.

He would just have to beg Yun Yin again. If it was only a meeting, Yun Yin should agree.

But just as he reached the door, he suddenly heard Lu Zhong speak.

“Highness.”

Li Zhaoyi turned back. “Master?”

Lu Zhong looked at him, his gaze lingering on his neck. After a moment, he said slowly, “Serving with nothing but one’s beauty is ultimately not the proper path.”

Li Zhaoyi felt his mind go blank for a second, then his face turned pale.

He looked at Lu Zhong, wanting to defend himself, but unable to find the words. His fingers clenched into his palms, the pain sharp where his nails dug in.

But immediately, Lu Zhong said the next words.

“Serving with one’s beauty—when beauty fades, affection wanes. Little Highness, from now on, your master can no longer help you. Since you have set foot on this path, remember what your master tells you always. Inside this palace, never place your hopes on another person.

“The seas change and fields turn to mulberry groves; the human heart is unfathomable. Only when you yourself possess a foundation to stand upon can you withstand any change in people’s hearts, and only then can you make those you care about truly look you in the eye and hold you in regard.

“Do you understand, Little Highness?”

Li Zhaoyi stood rooted to the spot, stupefied.

Lu Zhong closed his eyes. “Go now. If His Highness asks what we talked about, just tell him the truth.”

Li Zhaoyi said, “Alright.”

He stepped out the door in a slight trance.

Inside the courtyard, Yun Yin had turned around at some unknown point and was looking at him. His eyes held a calm that seemed to see through everything.