Chapter 37

Yun Yin was true to his word; for the next couple of days, he was hardly in the palace.

Li Zhaoyi had always been quite curious.

He meant about the period before. Yun Yin practically lived in Bright Clarity Hall, rarely even returning to his own residence. Although memorials could be sent in, there were always other matters to handle. Li Zhaoyi didn’t know how Yun Yin managed to stay.

Not only did he manage to stay, but when it was time to leave, he couldn’t even leave cleanly.

One evening, after dinner, Li Zhaoyi was painting. Yun Yin was just about to leave, but he came over to take a look and suddenly said, “Does Your Majesty still keep the small portrait I painted for you?”

Li Zhaoyi naturally pointed it out to him.

Yun Yin then said, “Then, Your Majesty, paint one as a return gift for me.”

Li Zhaoyi: “…”

He had to remind Yun Yin: “You just said you were leaving.”

Yun Yin said, “I’m not in that much of a hurry.”

He truly sat down not far away.

Li Zhaoyi was now accustomed to this kind of rogue behavior. Unable to dissuade him, he laid out a fresh sheet of paper, picked up his brush, and then cautioned Yun Yin one last time: “I’m not good at painting people, you know.”

Yun Yin said, “It’s fine. I will muster the nerve to praise it.”

Li Zhaoyi: “…”

Maybe he should just throw the brush at him.

He silently glared at Yun Yin, but thinking about the fact that the other man still had business to attend to, he didn’t hesitate further and began to paint.

Yun Yin watched his quiet and beautiful face, his slightly lowered eyelashes, and his focused expression, and drifted off into a brief reverie. By the time he came back to his senses, Li Zhaoyi was already saying, “…It’s done.”

It didn’t really look like him, actually.

Li Zhaoyi always spoke the truth.

He had tried his best to depict him, but the human figure on the paper didn’t capture much of Yun Yin’s appearance.

Simply put, it was barely recognizable, but he had made him ugly.

He felt quite apologetic, but not that apologetic. After all, Yun Yin had asked for it.

Yun Yin, however, looked at it for a long while and commented thoughtfully:

“Your Majesty didn’t humble yourself in the slightest.”

Before Li Zhaoyi could glare at him a second time, he tucked the painting into his sleeve, kissed Li Zhaoyi’s forehead, and left just like that.

–

A week later, the preparations for the Autumn Hunt officially began.

Li Zhaoyi felt a thrill of anticipation in his heart, as if there was one more thing to look forward to in his life. Yun Yin, meanwhile, became twice as busy. Now, everything in the palace had to pass through his hands. His leisure pastime was teasing Li Zhaoyi.

Li Zhaoyi was also busy.

Besides his lessons, Yun Yin had him review memorials.

This time, it wasn’t about letting him blindly approve them with his eyes closed; he was supposed to read Yun Yin’s annotations.

For this reason, Yun Yin even restrained the tone he used in his own annotations on the memorials. Some court officials even suspected that after Gu Qingdai stepped back, a power struggle might be occurring within the Grand Secretariat.

Studying by day, reviewing memorials in the evening.

Li Zhaoyi’s schedule was packed full.

At night, Yun Yin would also test him on his lessons and how much of the annotated content he had memorized.

Most of the time, it was quite serious. Li Zhaoyi would lie on the daybed, and Yun Yin would sit to the side, checking his answers and also keeping an eye on him so he wouldn’t sneakily eat candy when he thought Yun Yin wasn’t looking—

Yun Yin had recently discovered that Li Zhaoyi was developing a sweet tooth. Whenever he kissed him, there was always a sweet taste in his mouth.

This wasn’t healthy; it needed to be corrected.

The method of correction was enforced a small part of the time.

Occasionally, Li Zhaoyi would also act playfully spoiled. He had received too few tasty treats when he was young, so when he encountered something he liked, he always overdid it. He had learned to act spoiled without a teacher. He said, “The very last piece.”

He held up a single finger, making a serious and solemn promise.

Yun Yin simultaneously wanted to laugh and felt a bit soft-hearted. He said, “You can eat it if you answer the next question correctly.”

Li Zhaoyi immediately nodded.

But when the question came, he was dumbfounded.

A moment later, he couldn’t help but ask, “…Was this in today’s memorials?”

Yun Yin said, “Mm-hmm.”

Li Zhaoyi: “…”

Dejectedly, he handed the candy over to Yun Yin.

Just before falling asleep, he remembered.

Feeling a little wronged, he said, “You tricked me. Didn’t you say this one was too difficult and I didn’t need to read it?”

Occasionally, memorials that were beyond scope were set aside. As luck would have it, this was one of the first ones, so he remembered.

Yun Yin closed his eyes.

The corner of his mouth curled up slightly. He said, “Your Majesty, time to sleep.”

–

That night, Li Zhaoyi slept very deeply.

In the past, he would sometimes dream. When he woke up, everything would feel vast and empty.

The servants were all only allowed in the outer chamber. Only De Quan, upon hearing a sound, would come in to check on him.

But most of the time, when he woke up, all he could see was an empty room, clear, cold moonlight, and the enormous imperial palace shrouded in shadow.

But that didn’t happen anymore.

Yun Yin would hold him while he slept, embracing him snugly but not too tightly.

If he happened to wake in the middle of the night, what he saw was the warm bedding and the fingers resting on his waist.

Yun Yin was a light sleeper. The moment Li Zhaoyi stirred, he would wake up.

Warm breath would brush against Li Zhaoyi’s ear as he asked:

“Can’t sleep?”

A hoarse tenderness.

Then Li Zhaoyi would drift hazily back to sleep. As time went on, he no longer dreamed, nor did he wake in the middle of the night.

When he awoke, the sky was already bright.

Yun Yin was fully dressed, holding a scroll of a book in the outer chamber.

Li Zhaoyi got dressed and ate breakfast. Then the two of them boarded a carriage together and left the Imperial Palace.

Today the weather was fine and clear, a perfect day to practice riding and archery.

~

When they went out that day, Li Zhaoyi brought Chun Nuo along.

This little eunuch was quite interesting.

In the past, Li Zhaoyi dealt mostly with palace maids and eunuchs. The eunuchs in the palace either bullied others with their power or were cringingly subservient, always going to extremes. But Lu Zhong, De Quan, and Chun Nuo shattered Li Zhaoyi’s impression.

Chun Nuo was fifteen years old this year, with a round face and a youthful appearance.

He was rather clumsy in his work, but he was very attentive to Li Zhaoyi. Such a young person, yet he would fuss and nag all day long. Li Zhaoyi would be nagged to the point of a headache, but he was also somewhat touched.

He could never get angry at people who were good to him.

Chun Nuo had been sold into the palace because his family had too many children and couldn’t afford to raise him.

When he spoke of this, he tried to sound casual, but his face couldn’t conceal his desolation. When Li Zhaoyi tentatively said he would let him leave, he shook his head resolutely.

He murmured, “Better not.”

He hadn’t fully grown up yet, but he already understood the inferiority complex born from his physical incompleteness.

Now, in fact, he was more suited to staying in the palace.

Li Zhaoyi fell silent.

But Chun Nuo added, “Meeting Your Majesty, This Servant is already very fortunate.”

Li Zhaoyi gave him food and clothing.

Serving in Bright Clarity Hall, there was no need to worry about being scolded or beaten, nor did one need to walk on eggshells. Truthfully, most people who came wouldn’t want to leave.

Chun Nuo didn’t want to leave either.

In his eyes, Li Zhaoyi was wonderful in every way. The only flaw was—

“Your little follower is glaring at me again.” Yun Yin was riding a horse with Li Zhaoyi, seated behind him. His voice was unhurried, impossible to tell if it was anger or a casual tease. “Your Majesty, do you have any clue why?”

Li Zhaoyi: “…”

He said, “I tried to persuade him.”

He had tried. He told Chun Nuo to provoke Yun Yin less, since even he didn’t dare provoke Yun Yin.

But the more he persuaded, the more the other party felt Yun Yin was a traitorous subject who was coercing him and bringing chaos to the court. Li Zhaoyi had no solution. Yun Yin wasn’t silver; not everyone had to like him.

Yun Yin simply smiled.

He wasn’t angry. It was pure indifference.

Someone like Chun Nuo was, to him, like the dust floating in the air above the riding grounds. He could see it, but it wouldn’t distract his attention.

As long as Li Zhaoyi was happy.

And Li Zhaoyi was indeed very happy.

–

This was the first time Yun Yin discovered that beneath Li Zhaoyi’s stubbornness, there was also a bit of wildness.

In truth, he had a lot of guts. This was evident when he disobeyed his master, Lu Zhong, and secretly ran back. Yun Yin had guided him a few times, and his riding skills became increasingly adept. The moment Yun Yin’s attention wandered, he would ride far off into the distance.

Yun Yin slowly ambled his horse forward, narrowing his eyes as he watched him ride back from afar.

Black hair flying, his eyes ablaze with a brilliant light. The motions of his hands paused. The horse whinnied as Li Zhaoyi arrived before him.

“I’ll ride one more round,” he said to Yun Yin.

It was a request for permission. He always liked using that tone.

Declarative, yet softened. The end of his sentence seemed to carry a tiny hook, an unconscious act of coyness. Impossible to refuse him.

Yun Yin very much wanted to grant his request.

But by now, the sky was getting somewhat late. They had agreed to go see the hunting grounds later as well.

Li Zhaoyi let out a quiet “Oh.”

Seeing him like this, Yun Yin couldn’t help but urge his horse closer to him.

Pulling the person into his arms in front of him, holding him tightly, Yun Yin’s lips landed near his ear in a series of fine kisses. Li Zhaoyi had just finished his round and was still a bit warm. He wanted to struggle but didn’t dare, saying quietly, “Don’t hold me anymore.”

And added: “There are still people around.”

His voice carried a hint of shyness, but not displeasure.

Yun Yin’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. He didn’t speak, just kept circling his arms around Li Zhaoyi. The horse turned in place.

Li Zhaoyi turned his head in slight puzzlement.

Yun Yin looked at his clear, pure eyes. His lips moved, but he didn’t know what to say.

Just at that moment, the sound of a fine horse neighing came from the distance.

Both of them looked up simultaneously. Li Zhaoyi froze for a second, but Yun Yin came back to his senses immediately.

~

Li Zhaoyi was purely drawn by the sound of hoofbeats.

But when he looked up, he realized that perhaps what truly drew one’s attention was the person on the horse.

It was a face that was gentle, refined, elegant, and outstandingly handsome.

The man looked to be in his early twenties, wearing a long robe of bluish-white, his figure tall and straight, his bearing graceful and unconventional. Li Zhaoyi stared, captivated, and saw those clear, moisturized eyes curve in a slight smile.

The other party seemed… to be observing him as well.

Li Zhaoyi was briefly stunned.

At first, he thought the other man simply hadn’t recognized him.

But then he reconsidered and felt something was off.

This was the Royal Racecourse. Those who could enter were either collateral branches of the imperial family or important court ministers and their families. A birthday banquet had just been held recently; most people should have seen him.

Furthermore, he was currently with Yun Yin.

If this were a young master from the Capital, he shouldn’t fail to recognize him, nor should he scrutinize him with such a gaze.

As Li Zhaoyi was thinking this, Yun Yin on the other side confirmed his thoughts.

He asked, “When did you return to the Capital?”

His tone held no surprise, nor any hostility.

Li Zhaoyi understood. This must be an old acquaintance of Yun Yin’s.

He felt a bit awkward, unsure if he should make an excuse to leave, but Yun Yin didn’t release him.

The other man’s gaze fell upon them, and his reply was very natural in tone.

“Early this morning,” he said.

He paused. “Didn’t bring many people. Was just thinking of staying for a while. I originally went to your residence to find you, but the servants said you’d come here to ride, so I came to try my luck.”

Yun Yin raised an eyebrow.

He didn’t comment further, lowering his head to introduce to Li Zhaoyi: “Your Majesty, this is the Head of the Yan Clan of Jiangnan, Yan Hengzhou.”

He said softly, “The Yan Clan is a well-known merchant family in the Jiangnan region, dealing in tea and porcelain. Not only do they have their own shops all across the Yan Dynasty, but they also sell goods on behalf of the court to some of the external tribes.”

“He doesn’t come to the Capital often. You may not have seen him.” He paused, his expression natural. “He is also… an old acquaintance of mine.”

“Perhaps you have heard of him.”

As his words fell, Li Zhaoyi froze.

–

Li Zhaoyi had, of course, heard of Yan Hengzhou’s name.

He dared say that in this Capital, there was likely no one who hadn’t heard that name.

Back when Li Zhaoyi was named Crown Prince, the Eastern Palace had three Study Companions, each with an impressive background. Yun Yin went without saying. Chang Zixuan, the youngest son of the Marquis of Ningyuan, now held a post in the Court of Judicial Review. While not exactly thriving effortlessly, he was smooth and adaptable.

And the Marquis of Ningyuan himself was also highly respected in court.

Of the three, the most mysterious, and also the most surprising, was the Head of the Yan Clan before him.

The Yan family had been merchants for generations, residing mostly in the Jiangnan area. Logically, they shouldn’t have had much interaction with the Capital. The reason Yan Hengzhou was able to become a Study Companion was due to a fortuitous connection—namely, his sister.

In those years, Prince Yi, the younger brother of Emperor Ruide, married a Lady of the Yan Clan.

The wedding was a grand affair in the Capital. Only, after the banquet, the Yan Clan voluntarily left their youngest son in the Capital.

In name, he was a Study Companion, but in reality, he was a hostage.

The Yan Clan was immensely wealthy, practically becoming an “unofficial emperor” in Jiangnan. Emperor Ruide had long been wary of them; the Yan Clan’s move was a gesture of loyalty. But no one had expected that Yan Hengzhou would not live stifled in the Capital.

He was a celebrated scholar, and Li Zhaoyu happened to favor poetry and painting just as well.

In terms of closeness, Yan Hengzhou’s relationship with Li Zhaoyu was actually the closest. And at the same time, Emperor Ruide also liked Yan Hengzhou very much.

He had a tongue that was far too skilled at pleasing others.

Unlike Chang Zixuan’s ability to adapt his speech to any person or situation, Yan Hengzhou’s empathy was truly as silent and permeating as water. He was someone who truly relied on his own merits to establish a firm foothold in the Capital.

It was precisely because of this that some had speculated: was the Yan Clan leaving their heir in the Capital truly an act of helplessness, or…

Was it deliberate?

After all, back then, this marriage alliance for the Yan Clan wasn’t something they absolutely had to agree to.

The specific reasons were unknown. What Li Zhaoyi knew wasn’t this detailed either.

When he learned about Yan Hengzhou from Lu Zhong, the other man had already left the Capital and returned to Jiangnan—

Indeed, this former Study Companion of the Crown Prince hadn’t stayed until the end during the final struggle for succession. Instead, two years prior, citing poor health, he had achieved his goal, withdrawn successfully, and left the Capital.

~

Li Zhaoyi’s mind was racing.

Back then, he had only heard Lu Zhong mention it in passing.

At that time, the only thing he cared about was when he would be able to leave the palace. All stories were heard with that premise and goal in mind. But Yan Hengzhou’s departure was full of oddities. No matter how he thought about it, he felt something must have happened.

After his ascension, Yan Hengzhou had never come to the Capital.

Over time, Li Zhaoyi had always thought that Yan Hengzhou and Yun Yin had truly fallen out, or at the very least, a rift had formed between them.

But seeing them today, that was far from the case.

These two were clearly very familiar with each other.

Which meant…

He had misunderstood.

Misunderstanding aside, Yun Yin had deliberately pointed out his identity to remind Yan Hengzhou.

When a subject meets the Son of Heaven, they should pay obeisance. Li Zhaoyi didn’t need to do anything; it was Yan Hengzhou who should act accordingly. Li Zhaoyi tried his best to put on a dignified and majestic demeanor. Yun Yin cooperated very well and had long since released him.

Outside, he always catered to Li Zhaoyi’s feelings.

Of course, this consideration would usually be collected with interest in another form later on.

In any case, they were now barely in a proper posture.

The three of them stood in silence, two people waiting for Yan Hengzhou to speak.

Only, no one expected that Yan Hengzhou, with his phoenix-like eyes slightly raised, would look over with the gentleness of a spring breeze, and the words that came out of his mouth would be—

“Rare to see A-Yin so patient, even sharing a horse with someone. So, this is…”

“Sister-in-law?”

As his words fell, even the wind over the grassy field seemed to fall silent for a moment.

In that profound silence, Li Zhaoyi stared at the refined and gentle man before him in disbelief. His ears, reacting faster than his brain, burned bright red.