Chapter 3.13 – He had used the palace’s ultimate secret weapon

Editor: Mimishijie

Proofreader: Penguinstel

Watching Zhao Ze take his rightful seat, Xiang Han coughed lightly and faked sternness, “Since you are now Zhen’s people, you must be clear of one thing. In the future, you need to control yourself. Don’t think of marrying a wife while you are with Zhen.”

“This minister does not and definitely will not.” Zhao Ze’s heart shook in agitation and he swiftly raised his hands to swear.

Remembering the flower appreciation banquet this afternoon, he explained in embarrassment, “The matters today were arranged by my mother, and this minister had not known of it.”

His last few words were meek because he suddenly remembered that his mother seemed to have said something last night in the manor. However, his mind had been full of the Little Emperor at that time, so he’d completely disregarded her words.

Xiang Han’s face flushed. He forced himself to calm down, not wanting to admit that he had been drinking vinegar., “How will you answer to your family if you don’t take a wife?”

“This minister will settle it, Your Majesty need not worry.” Zhao Ze assured him before asking him hopefully, “This servant only has Your Majesty in his heart. Your Majesty, can you also…only have this minister?”

Xiang Han coughed and glanced at him with slight anger, “Apart from Minister Zhao, who else would have the guts?”

Zhao Ze’s eyes lit up and his heart burst with joy. Sitting for a while, he still could not help saying softly, “Your Majesty, this minister’s desk is too short. Sitting for prolonged period of time will result in extreme fatigue…”

Xiang Han put down the memorials in his hands and turned to look helplessly at the palace hall. Moving over, he expressionlessly said, “Fine, you may come up.”

Zhao Ze hurriedly stood up empty-handed and walked over. Afterwards, he held the Little Emperor in his arms and they looked over the memorials together.

Xiang Han endured. When he could no longer hold back, he frowned, “Minister Zhao, don’t you think writing memorials like this is even less efficient than Zhen doing it alone?”

“Then, this minister will not disturb Your Majesty any longer.” Zhao Ze decided not to look at it anymore and hugged the Little Emperor in his arms, positioning him to lean against his own body. He explained after receiving a glare, “This will make it more comfortable and reduces fatigue.”

Xiang Han twisted his body. En, this was indeed more comfortable, and thus, he happily leaned back.

Finishing up the memorials, Zhao Ze spoke again, “Your Majesty, this minister hadn’t even eaten lunch before being called over…”

Xiang Han’s lips twitched but he calmly replied, “You can stay for dinner.”

After eating, Zhao Ze said again, “Your Majesty, the sky is already dark and it isn’t safe to return to the manor. Can this minister stay…”

Xiang Han glanced at the sky and straightforwardly interrupted him, “Minister Zhao, know your limits. The sky hasn’t darkened.”

“Don’t tell me Your Majesty has nothing ‘important’ to discuss?” Zhao Ze was unwilling to give up. He had just confessed to the Little Emperor and wished he could stick to the other person for every passing moment. How could he bear to leave?

“There isn’t. Minister Zhao, please return,” Xiang Han said calmly.

Stating matters so directly, Zhao Ze had no choice but to leave reluctantly.

Watching him leave, Xiang Han swiftly summoned the imperial doctor. Shaking his leg back and forth, he awkwardly asked, “Imperial doctor, let Zhen ask you, do you have that sort of medicine…cough, those that can stimulate a person but leave them weak and unable to move?”

“…” The imperial doctor stared at him with a face full of fear.

“Do you have it or not?” Xiang Han asked expressionlessly.

According to customs, with their status as minister and monarch, he only needed to use his authority as the Emperor and there would be no need to fear Zhao Ze’s disobedience. But with the painful lesson from the previous world, he felt it was better to use medicine as a safety precaution.

The imperial doctor was intimidated by him and hurriedly nodded shakily, “I do, but it needs to be made.”

Xiang Han’s eyes lit up and he quickly ordered, “Then return and make it. Zhen wants it by tomorrow.”

The Imperial doctor was very fast. That night, the medicine was prescribed and the next morning during court, he personally handed it to Xiang Han.

At that time, Xiang Han was looking over the memorials with Zhao Ze. Noticing that the other person was observing him, he hurriedly stuffed the bottle of medicine into his sleeves as if nothing was wrong.

Zhao Ze’s gaze flickered. Waiting for the imperial doctor to leave, he took the seat beside Xiang Han once more and let him lean against his body.

Xiang Han stiffened. When he was sure that Zhao Ze hadn’t noticed anything, he finally began to relax and shifted his attention back to the memorials.

Zhao Ze had long begun to notice something was off but he did not say anything. He waited for Xiang Han to drop his guard before slipping a hand into the other person’s sleeve and tipped half the contents out into his palms. He then found an excuse to leave.

Xiang Han watched him leave and subconsciously touched the bottle to reassure himself it was still there. He couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief.

Zhao Ze had been worried. He had thought the Little Emperor was ill but did not want to tell him and thus, he only took a little of the powdered medicine out. He intended to find a physician outside the palace to help him take a look.

However, after knowing what type of medicine it was, his expression became strange. To be stimulated yet unable to move, the Little Emperor requesting for this kind of medicine was obviously not for self-consumption. That could only mean…

Zhao Ze’s lips twitched. In fact, he had not considered the problem of being on the top or bottom but since the Little Emperor minds, he had to go read a few ‘textbooks’. After looking through a couple, he felt unsteady.

Especially when he pictured the Little Emperor in place of the person in his book, thinking of the other man being pushed down under him on the dragon bed and the imperial palace desks, that sort of scene left him in a trance. He felt light-headed as if he were floating.

Even though he knew such intentions was overstepping his boundaries, and were extremely disrespectful, once he imagined the Little Emperor crying uncontrollably because of him, a strange and perverted desire grew in his heart. After all, that was the noble and unreachable Emperor. Apart from him, there was no one else who could obtain him.

Zhao Ze could not bring himself to think about the food in front of him. At night, he dreamt of the Little Emperor and when he woke up, he only felt incredibly frustrated.

Morning court, he stood near the front in the palace. When he sneakily stole a peek at the Emperor’s awe-inspiring demeanour, he couldn’t help but fantasize the scene where he pressed the other person down onto the Dragon Throne…he nearly had a nose bleed.

“Minister Zhao, what do you think?”

The Little Emperor suddenly asked him a question, but his mind was blank and he completely did not know what they had been discussing. He could only harden his scalp and raise his tablet, blindly replying, “Your Majesty is always right, this minister naturally heeds Your Majesty.”

Xiang Han’s lips twitched, and he accurately guessed that Zhao Ze must not have been paying attention. He directly waved his sleeves and said, “Since that is the case, we will heed Minister Luo’s suggestions.”

Luo Bai?

Zhao Ze frowned and realised they had been discussing the matters of the crops once more. In fact, he did not approve of the Little Emperor’s manner of handling matters. He was too impatient, but he did not say anything else throughout morning court.

After court session ended, he told the Little Emperor, “Your Majesty, popularising those crops is a good thing, but it must be done gradually. If we were to do things rashly without proper considerations, it may stir the dissatisfaction of civilians.”

“What do you mean?” Xiang Han slowed his step and turned to look at him.

Zhao Ze hurriedly went forward to explain, “Take the Jiang Nan for example since there are a great number of wealthy people there, they have already become accustomed to eating polished rice. I’m afraid that it will be a challenge for them to accept those crops and even more difficult to commercialise it.”

Xiang Han pondered for a moment before nodding, “En, what you said makes sense. But in the face of starvation, they will have no choice but to farm it.”

Zhao Ze frowned, not understanding the implications that seemed buried in those words. However, seeing the Little Emperor’s determination, he could only sigh and think of ways to share his burden.

Luo Bai received the order and immediately went to work without rest.

Unable to eat the food he cooked made Xiang Han depressed, but at the same time, he couldn’t help worrying. Since his palate had already grown accustomed to Luo Bai’s dishes, what should he do after going into the next world?

Zhao Ze picked up a jug of wine and, seeing how the Little Emperor’s attention was elsewhere, he quietly slipped the powdered medicine between his fingers into the mouth of the jug. Afterwards, he poured a cup for the other person.

When Xiang Han saw the pot of wine, he silently thought, he’d nearly forgotten the important matter today.

He swiftly downed the cup of wine before picking up the wine jar beside him and personally poured a cup for Zhao Ze. After pretending to fiddle with the cover, he poured himself a cup and deceptively gestured for them to drink.

Zhao Ze saw his little actions and grew alert. When drinking, he used his sleeves to obstruct his view and secretly poured away the cup of wine.

Xiang Han glanced at him from his peripheral vision and smugly thought, he had especially used the palace’s ultimate weapon — Nine Songs of Lovers pot[1],  this time, he would definitely succeed.

Watching Zhao Ze empty his cup, Xiang Han smiled happily poured another cup for him. However, after a moment, Zhao Ze had not yet fallen when he first fell.

Zhao Ze’s palms were clammy. Seeing the Little Emperor laying on the ground, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. He went forward to support the other man and gently said, “Your Majesty, allow this minister to help you back to rest.” 

“Mmn…” Xiang Han softly hummed and giddily wondered, why did it feel a little hot?

Zhao Ze nervously picked him up and carried him into his bed chambers. Afterwards, he carefully laid the other person onto the dragon bed while he supported himself with his elbows and leaned forward, pressing him down.

Xiang Han abruptly opened his eyes and saw the person on top of him. He instantly regained a few degrees of alertness, but the moment he raised an arm, he found that his four limbs were weak and devoid of strength. How could he not break out in a cold sweat?

How had he become the one being drugged? It couldn’t be that he remembered incorrectly and gave himself the medicine instead of Zhao Ze? Or had they mixed the drinks up instead?

He immediately grew anxious and stuttered nervously, “M-Minister Zhao, calm down a little. This is disrespecting the monarch…”

Zhao Ze gazed at him tenderly and warmly said, “Your Majesty, do you feel hot? This minister feels really hot.”

“Z-Zhen isn’t hot…” As if! His whole body was on fire, as if electricity was coursing through his veins, numbing him in waves.

Zhao Ze caressed his face and whispered, “But I feel that you are very hot, even your perspiration is coming out.”

Xiang Han instinctively rubbed against his palms, like a small animal but in the next instance, he woke up. He struggled to regain some vigilance and forced himself to say, “Minister Zhao, Z-Zhen seem to be sick. G-go and call the imperial physician…”

He was struggling to suppress the low moans threatening to leak out and thus, his words towards the ends had to be squeezed out through the cracks of his teeth.

“There’s no need to call the physician. Your Majesty’s illness, I can also treat it.”

Zhao Ze’s voice was hoarse and he no longer bothered to suppress his voice thick with lust. His palms slid downwards and stopped beside the other person’s lips, rubbing tenderly.

Xiang Han panted lightly and fought to keep his eyes open, his jaws trembling.

Zhao Ze’s eyes darkened even further and directly captured his lips. With the bout of intense bed play, Xiang Han quickly let out another groan.

It did not take long for their clothes to become messy. The refined and delicate dragon robes were also crushed under their actions.

Occasionally, Xiang Han would regain some clarity and struggle to push Zhao Ze away, but because of the drug in his body, he could only put his arms weakly around the other person. In the end, he had to endure the torrential invasion of the other man.

***

[1] Basically, an elaborate pot with a partition that separates the jug and one layer is used to load the wine while the other one is to administer the medicine. it’s an actual pot found in the Chu Kingdom.