After Losing My Memory, I Became My Rival's Palm-Sized Chirper - Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Personally Teaching Him to be Empress

The next day, shortly after waking up, Qi Jia finished his breakfast and fertilized his little sapling in the courtyard before leisurely flying into the Celestial Emperor’s study.

He was aware that recently, several ministers had suggested he accompany the Emperor to the morning court sessions. Qi Jia was quite grateful to these immortal officials, led by Fairy Shuoling’s father—in the book Daily Life of Palace Struggles he had read, the harem was strictly forbidden from interfering in government affairs. In that book, if an Empress were urged by the ministers to attend court, she would likely be ambitious enough to overthrow the Emperor directly.

So, while Qi Jia appreciated the ministers’ high regard and knew they meant well, the reality was that the little bird simply couldn’t get out of bed.

Since arriving in the Jade Capital, thanks to the endless spiritual food and the Spirit-Nurturing Pills provided by Lao Jun, his injuries had healed rapidly. His once-empty spiritual manor felt increasingly full, and the spiritual power he could manifest had increased significantly. However, perhaps due to the speed of his recovery, the little fat bird was perpetually sleepy—he could manage to stay up late if he was playing, but waking up early was absolutely out of the question.

Regarding this, Fairy Shuoling comforted him: “I’ve heard that pregnancy is always like this. You don’t need to worry, Consort.”

The ministers only suggested his attendance, and Yu Baixi indulged him, never demanding he do anything. Thus, the little fat bird stayed in bed without a single shred of guilt.

But today, just as he hopped cheerfully into the study, planning to browse through memorials as usual and then wedge himself into the brush-rest for a deep nap, Yu Baixi suddenly produced several books and placed them before him.

“Chirp?” The round bird tilted his head. “What is this?”

“I have thought about it. Previously, I only cared about how you would pass these three months, and indeed, I did not consider the ‘afterward’ (rihou),” Yu Baixi said.

Qi Jia: “Afterward?”

His little head whipped around, and a flush of crimson suddenly bloomed on both of the round bird’s cheeks: “Af-After… after ‘doing it’ (ri), then what?”

Yu Baixi: “?”

Qi Jia peered at the books and poked one with his claw. “Does it still require nursing? What do these books have to do with it?”

Yu Baixi: “…”

The Celestial Emperor fell into a direct silence. Only after a long moment did he take a deep breath. “I am referring to after you recover your memories, not… what on earth are you thinking about every day?”

By the end, the Emperor’s tone had risen significantly. He stared at the pale-yellow bird with a strange, stiff expression.

“…Oh.” Qi Jia, despite being questioned, didn’t feel the least bit embarrassed.

He figured things weren’t as he had imagined. After all, the title on one of the covers read: One Hundred Methods of Drawing Talismans.

Honestly, he had thought the Celestial Emperor had finally “seen the light” and started thinking about their “afterward” (intimacy)!

The round bird gave the upright and handsome Emperor a reproachful look while shaking out his feathers. Then, upon closer inspection, he noticed something unusual—it seemed that the Emperor’s usually jade-white ears were currently tinged with a faint red…

Yu Baixi usually wore his hair half-bound in a jade crown with the rest flowing over his shoulders. Because of his dignified features, he always looked like a righteous gentleman, far removed from the title of “Evil Celestial Emperor.” Qi Jia was used to his face being the picture of pure rectitude, so any tiny change was immediately noticeable.

Under the scrutiny of the little bird, who was sticking out his tail and craning his neck to look, the Emperor raised his hand to slightly adjust the strands of hair on his shoulder.

Judging by his voice, Yu Baixi had regained his focus on the subject: “If you are still willing to stay in the Jade Capital later, you can look now to see what kind of occupation suits you. It’s good to learn in advance.”

“Isn’t my occupation being the Empress?” Qi Jia asked back immediately after withdrawing his gaze.

“…That is also possible.” Yu Baixi’s eyes flickered. He raised his lashes; his smoky-green eyes seemed pale but held a resolute gaze. He spoke slowly: “If you truly have this ambition—since the Grand Empress is not in the palace and the female officials in charge of harem affairs are also absent—I shall personally teach you.”

Qi Jia: “You’re teaching me? To be Empress?? …Is it… is it that official???”

“Mhm. You may view this as your possible… career destination.” The Emperor hesitated slightly on his wording, but his tone remained firm and righteous. “I have a fair understanding of your previous abilities, so if you come to apply for the position of Empress in the future… you would be quite suitable. Therefore, I have granted permission.”

Qi Jia: “…?”

The round little bird, huddled like a ball on the desk, felt completely dazed. He suspected that on the day Yu Baixi was in seclusion, he must have… held something in for too long! Otherwise, why did he look like his brain was clogged?

Qi Jia finally looked at the books. One Hundred Methods of Drawing Talismans. Celestial Troop Drills. The Emperor’s Art of the Mind. The Ten Million Year History of the Four Realms.

Qi Jia: “…These books look very formal and ancient.”

“Mhm,” Yu Baixi said. “They were my textbooks when I was young.”

“…Young?!” Qi Jia suddenly thought of a problem: “Then, how old am I?” Realizing he had never paid attention to this, his eyes widened. “It’s not like this is ‘unmentionable’ too, is it?”

“You are… slightly younger than me,” the Emperor replied, lowering his lashes again.

Qi Jia was not satisfied. “How much younger is ‘slightly’? I’m not under three thousand years old, am I? …Am I an adult?” Because he looked so delicate and cute as a parrot, and because Yu Baixi had hesitated, he suddenly doubted his true age.

The little bird covered his belly with a wing. “This bird is an adult, right?”

Yu Baixi: “…” He reached out two fingers to support his forehead. “Our first meeting was over ten thousand years ago,” the Emperor’s voice was low and slightly husky. “Do you tell me if you are an adult?”

“…Oh, right.” Qi Jia was relieved. He sat down on the desk, stretched his claws, and continued stroking his belly with a wing. “Being pregnant while underage wouldn’t do!”

Yu Baixi: “…You still care so much about that?”

“Why wouldn’t I care?” Qi Jia was even more baffled. “I have a very strong sense of morality, okay!”

“…”

The Emperor kept a stiff face, trying once more to get back on track. “In any case, look at these books first.”

His tone was as formal as a strict old master teaching spirits in a mountain school. Qi Jia instinctively shuddered and began poking at the books. “…I can read the history book, but the Art of the Mind?? The Troop Drills might be okay to learn; it feels like it might come in handy. But what’s the point of me learning talismans? You already know how. I heard you even personally reinforced the Heavenly Gate Array. There’s really no need for me to learn, right?”

“It is precisely because I know that I can teach you,” the Emperor said calmly, his tone making it sound perfectly logical.

Qi Jia: “…” That actually made sense.

“Besides, I will not always be in the Jade Capital,” Yu Baixi added suddenly. “The Heavenly Gate Array needs someone to constantly evolve and repair it, and the Sanqing Sword needs constant refinement.”

“Isn’t the Sanqing Sword your personal sidearm?” Qi Jia interrupted. He had long known the name of the longsword the Emperor carried. “Even if you aren’t in the Jade Capital, you’d take your sword with you, right? You don’t expect me to maintain it for you??”

Qi Jia really couldn’t figure it out.

Yu Baixi fell silent again. After a moment, he said slowly, “The Sanqing Sword is the sword of the Celestial Emperor. It does not belong to me alone.”

Qi Jia: “What do you mean… are there many Celestial Emperors in this world?…”

“No.” Yu Baixi glanced at the round bird. “It is just that after I die, this sword will still need someone…”

“Bah, bah, bah!” Qi Jia hurriedly interrupted him. “What kind of talk is that? It sounds so unlucky!”

The little fat bird roared, tucking his wings angrily and glaring. Likely not expecting such a strong reaction, Yu Baixi froze, a flash of bewilderment appearing in his pale eyes.

Qi Jia: “You’re actually thinking about making me a widower! Won’t my child be fatherless then?! You… you Big Scumbag Dragon!”

Yu Baixi: “…”

“My apologies,” the Emperor eventually said.

“An apology isn’t enough. Explain yourself clearly.” The more Qi Jia thought about it, the more he felt the tone was wrong. He remembered the man saying he was “dying” before, so he pointed his wing-tip at him. “Tell me, how could you be gone? Aren’t you a dragon? Aren’t you only ten thousand years old? Aren’t dragons the longest-lived creatures in the Four Realms?…”

“…Did the Empress not say it herself? My health is poor,” the Emperor’s voice was indifferent, his smoky-green eyes watching the bird with a half-smile.

Qi Jia: “…I was joking!”

“I was also joking with you.”

“Liar.”

The little bird put his wings on his hips and spread his short legs, thrusting out his belly in a domineering manner. “Who jokes about that for no reason? Saying such unlucky things!”

Yu Baixi replied, “Fine, I won’t say it again.”

Qi Jia: “Hmph!” He turned his head away.

The Emperor hesitated but reached out, his long fingertip brushing over the soft down of the bird’s protruding belly. “Don’t be angry.”

Qi Jia:! His bird feet snapped together, and his round body rolled to the side, shifting from lying to crouching. He never expected Yu Baixi would… suddenly reach out to touch his belly! Even if he only brushed the soft fluff! It felt… completely different from when the man usually petted his back or head.

“Don’t touch me randomly… who gave you permission!” Curled into a ball, the little bird was still huffing.

Yu Baixi: “…My apologies.”

His long lashes dropped. He had already withdrawn his hand and was staring blankly at his fingers. He also didn’t understand why he had suddenly touched Qi Jia there. Clearly…

However, the bird that had just pulled away had already circled back and landed on his fingertip.

? Warm, soft feathers fluffed out, partially enveloping the cold fingertip. Yu Baixi’s lashes trembled violently as he looked up.

Qi Jia said valiantly: “This Consort hasn’t calmed down yet! Don’t think you can solve the problem just by petting the bird!” He stood tall as if perched on a thick branch and kicked down with a claw. “Don’t ever say things like that again!”

“…Mhm, alright,” the Emperor whispered. “My apologies.”

As soon as he spoke, Qi Jia slid down, using the Emperor’s finger as a slide. The round, warm bird slid directly into his palm, his indignation turning back into laziness. “That’s more like it.”

Yu Baixi: “…” His palm felt as if it had been scorched. His fingers instinctively wanted to curl, but he forced them to stay open, maintaining a steady hold on the fat bird.

The bird on top was completely oblivious, even stretching his claws to find a more comfortable position until he wedged himself in perfectly and peacefully closed his eyes.

“…” Yu Baixi’s lashes fluttered several times. Finally, with a flick of his wrist, he placed the bird back on the table. The heavy books landed in front of him.

“Read,” the Emperor said sternly.

Qi Jia: “?”

Yu Baixi: “It’s only morning. Didn’t you just wake up?”

Qi Jia: “…”

Qi Jia didn’t actually mind learning; he even liked reading. It was just that books this technical were…

“Haaa~” The delicate bird, lying almost on top of Talismans, gave a yawn. Upon flipping to the third page, his small body suddenly flipped to the side and rolled off, closing the book with his claws in one fluid motion.

Meeting the Emperor’s gaze, Qi Jia felt a bit guilty. “The study of talismans is a massive system, too complex, and requires a foundation… This Consort shall learn military strategy first!” The more he spoke, the more logical it felt. He flipped open the book on strategy.

Yu Baixi: … He returned his gaze to his memorials.

Before the bird had read two pages, there was more movement. Qi Jia felt his eyes were playing tricks on him. The bird, leaning against a paperweight, looked lazy and drained of strength.

“What now?” the Emperor’s cool voice asked.

Qi Jia: “…Do you think it’s possible I knew these things before I lost my memory? Why do I feel like these things are familiar, yet I can’t remember anything?”

Qi Jia wasn’t finding the reading hard, but the constant sense of déjà vu without being able to grasp anything was driving him crazy.

Hearing this, Yu Baixi set aside his work again. He mused, “It is possible you did.”

“…Right?!” Qi Jia was stunned at first, then flapped his wings excitedly. “…Wait, what do you mean ‘it is possible’? Did you really not know me well enough before to even know what I was capable of?”

The Emperor’s answer was to gaze at him with a calm expression.

Qi Jia was shocked: “So we really were just a ‘thunder-strikes-the-ground’ one-night stand?!”

Yu Baixi: “…” He pinched the bridge of his nose again, still offering no explanation. He simply gestured: “Read properly. Do not be distracted.”

“If I already knew it all, why am I learning it again?” The pale-yellow bird went on strike, closing the book with his claws again. He couldn’t fish out any useful info, and his brain was tired for nothing… Hmph, he wasn’t going to learn!

The Emperor reached out to reopen the book. “Reviewing the old helps one understand the new. Besides, if you happen to remember something through this opportunity, would that not be… good?”

Yu Baixi’s smoky-green eyes watched him, their depths as deep as a cold pool, impossible to fathom.

Qi Jia: “…That makes some sense.” The little fat bird watched him for a while, and seeing that the Emperor was serious, he reluctantly flipped through The Emperor’s Art of the Mind.

After squinting at it for a while and nearly falling asleep again, Qi Jia shook his feathers. “Right! If you really want to teach me, why don’t you teach me spells first!” The bird flapped again, his eyes full of hope.

Actually, when he first arrived in the Jade Capital, he was most interested in spells—a bird’s innate desire for power. But Yu Baixi had told him to recover from his injuries first and not to stir his spiritual power recklessly. And the bird had gradually lost himself in the environment of good food and abundant spiritual energy…

However, recently when Young Lord Dezhao came to ask his uncle for advice, Yu Baixi would occasionally teach him a few spells, and even went to the martial arts field for hands-on teaching. Qi Jia had said Yu Baixi was a dutiful uncle. In short, after seeing the uncle and nephew using dazzling spells at the field, Qi Jia wanted to go try a few moves himself.

Now his empty inner manor wasn’t fully replenished, but he no longer felt the pain of heavy injury. He felt normal practice would be fine.

“Are you done with your work? If not, finish first. If you are, let’s go!” The bird hopped and chirped, excited at the thought of learning spells.

Yu Baixi: “…” The hand holding the brush visibly wobbled. Lowering his lashes to hide his thoughts, he spoke after a moment: “Spells are not allowed yet; you are in a critical period of recovery.” Before the bird could get angry, he added quickly: “I can teach you some swordsmanship.”

“Swordsmanship?”

“Mhm. Relying on an immortal sword, one can practice without excessive consumption of spiritual power.”

“…That sounds somewhat logical.” However, the bird propped up his chin. “But if it doesn’t consume much power, why didn’t you teach me before?”

“Before,” the Emperor poked the bird’s head again, “you did not say you wanted to learn.”

“If I don’t say it, you won’t teach? Can’t you see I’m interested!…” Qi Jia put his wings on his hips again, ready to argue.

Yu Baixi raised his lashes slightly. “Are you not worried that learning this will disturb the ‘fetal breath’?”

Qi Jia: “…” He was instantly speechless—he really had forgotten about that. Mainly because he hadn’t felt any discomfort recently; in fact, he was too comfortable. There were still zero signs of pregnancy and no visible bump. It made him… almost stop believing he was pregnant.

“Let’s go.” The Emperor stood up and reached out to the little fat ball on the desk.

Qi Jia became hesitant, no longer as happy as before. He said listlessly, “Then maybe… I won’t learn for now.”

Yu Baixi fell silent, then suddenly said, “Don’t worry, I will be careful.”

“Chirp?” Hearing this, the bird snapped his head up to look at him. Those carefully groomed feathers on his head seemed to stand up instantly, and the whole bird became vibrant.

“…” The Emperor averted his eyes from the radiance in the other’s gaze. He said nothing but reached out for the bird again.

In the martial arts field, grand light surged, shadows danced, and sword intent overflowed. Qi Jia, in human form, wore a narrow-sleeved long robe of a similar style to the Emperor’s, his slender waist bound high. He was learning sword moves on a secluded field.

Then Qi Jia realized he really did need to practice. The sword felt foreign in his hand, not as natural as a brush. If Yu Baixi hadn’t demonstrated several movements to make his stance look cooler, he would have looked incredibly awkward.

“…So, I didn’t even have a handy weapon before?” Qi Jia said in disbelief. In his mind, if one couldn’t even use a weapon, they probably weren’t in this “line of work.”

But Yu Baixi said, “A weapon is merely an aid. For example, you visited the Mystic Mirror Immortal’s cave; those mirrors are his weapons.”

Qi Jia understood. “So, as long as I hold a divine artifact, I’ll be powerful even if I don’t know how to use it, right?” He cast his gaze toward the Sanqing Sword hanging at Yu Baixi’s waist.

There are eight divine artifacts in the world, and the Emperor already controlled five. But the Sanqing Sword was not one of them. However, as the first person under heaven, the sword he carried surely wasn’t ordinary. Qi Jia immediately looked at it with covetous eyes, though he didn’t know what made the sword special.

Unlike others who avoided or feared the Evil Celestial Emperor’s sword, Qi Jia had touched it long ago. He had accidentally bumped into it while turning over at night or getting up for water. He had even pitter-pattered across the sword with his bird feet. But he had seen no special features. Now, he could finally take a good look.

“I don’t want to use other immortal swords; I want to use yours,” he said slyly.

Yu Baixi froze for a moment, then said “Very well” with a calm expression, actually unbuckling the sword and tossing it to him.

“Come, let us test it.” As he spoke, the Emperor summoned a sword from a rack at the edge of the field and moved first.

Qi Jia wasn’t afraid. He raised the sword to block the Emperor’s incoming blade.

Clang!—

The person inside the field didn’t know that because the Emperor had unhesitatingly thrown the Sanqing Sword to the Empress, the spectators outside were already in an uproar.

“The Sanqing Sword! The sword His Majesty never lets go of was actually given to the Consort for practice!—”

Hearing that the Emperor was teaching the Consort, many off-duty generals from the Celestial Guard had gathered to watch. They never expected the first thing they’d see wasn’t the Emperor’s swordsmanship, but… a massive bowl of “dog food” (public display of affection).

A commander of the Celestial Guard said in shock: “His Majesty never lets that sword leave his side. No one has touched it in ten thousand years!”

“I thought His Majesty personally accompanying him to practice was enough affection, but I didn’t expect…”

Inside, since Qi Jia had only just learned to use a sword, the Emperor didn’t draw his blade. The two went back and forth on the field. Qi Jia felt it was because Yu Baixi was very good at “feeding” him moves. This made it much more enjoyable. It was like the Cuju (football) he occasionally played. If someone always passed the ball and let him kick it however he wanted, and the ball always came back to him, it wasn’t tiring. Thus, his interest grew, and he didn’t stop even after a hundred moves.

The crowd outside grew massive. Seeing too many people, Han Mo had to step out to maintain order. He didn’t expect half the spectators were his own men from the Celestial Guard, and none of them wanted to leave.

“When His Majesty brought the Young Lord here, he taught spells, and we couldn’t understand much. Now, watching His Majesty feed moves to the Consort, I suddenly have an epiphany.”

Han Mo: “…”

Han Mo went to find Shuoling, who was watching excitedly. “Quite a few palace maids have gathered; should you go manage them?” he said to her. “Lest we anger His Majesty…”

“Oh, it’s fine.” Shuoling’s eyes didn’t leave the center of the field. “If His Majesty and the Consort really didn’t want us to see, they wouldn’t have come to this field. …Is this even practice? It’s clearly an opportunity for romance. Look! His Majesty is supporting the Consort’s waist!”

Shuoling pointed to the center. Han Mo looked back; he didn’t see any waist-supporting. He only saw the Consort use the sword tip against the ground to stabilize himself before turning to strike again. The Emperor, holding his sheathed sword, used sword intent to push the Consort back. However, the Consort didn’t retreat but crouched to attack the Emperor’s lower half. The Emperor leaped to dodge, moving to the Consort’s side and back, but the Consort was agile and didn’t leave his back exposed, turning with him. The sword moved with his body, and the spirit-filled blade traced a beautiful arc in the air.

Despite this, the Consort was still a step slower than the Emperor. The Emperor raised his hand and lightly supported the Consort’s waist, signaling a flaw in his stance.

…Well, fine. Though he knew the Emperor didn’t want to hurt the Consort or was worried about him overextending himself, they were holding waists. General Han stopped speaking and joined Shuoling in staring. They called it “learning,” but their true thought was: Don’t stop. We love to watch!

After a few more moves.

Amidst the brilliant and beautiful light, Qi Jia, who had been practicing well, suddenly lost his strength and fell straight from the air.

“?” His phoenix eyes widened. Just as he was about to turn back into a bird, Yu Baixi had already sheathed his sword and dived with him, reaching out to catch him by the waist.

“What happened?” After landing steadily, the Emperor asked frostily while grabbing Qi Jia’s wrist.

Qi Jia leaned against him, feeling his body. “…My spiritual power suddenly stopped flowing smoothly.”

“Mhm. It is still because your spiritual manor is too empty.” Yu Baixi finished checking his condition. “Go back and regulate your breathing; do not stir your spiritual power recklessly for a while.” He let go of the other’s wrist.

“Alright,” Qi Jia responded. But he didn’t pull away from the other’s chest and shoulder. Instead, his body went limp. After handing the Sanqing Sword back to the Emperor, he raised both hands and hooked them around Yu Baixi’s neck.

The Emperor: “?”

Qi Jia’s spiritual manor was deficient; his power had supported him for a hundred moves before suddenly failing. At this moment, all his energy was likely going toward filling the void in his manor. So, Qi Jia was truly hungry. He didn’t even have the strength to turn back into a bird, and he didn’t want to say another word!

He looked up and blinked innocently at the other man. His gorgeous phoenix eyes even held a hint of moisture. “…Tired, hungry… food!”

The Emperor: “…” His grey-blue eyes flickered slightly. He eventually picked the youth up in a horizontal carry, then transformed into a streak of blue and white light, taking him directly away from the martial arts field.

Outside, seeing them leave, the confused immortals began to gossip. Of the eight hundred sentences, a small half were marveling at how stunning the Consort looked leaning weakly against the Emperor, truly a sight that evoked pity. Another small half discussed the Emperor’s posture in carrying the Consort, which seemed far too practiced. The rest thought the picture of the two standing together was simply too beautiful, like a painting.

Fairy Shuoling, as the Consort’s close confidante, thought a bit more than others. She suddenly became worried: “The Consort is still carrying the Dragon Heir; surely nothing will happen?”

Han Mo: “…Don’t worry, His Majesty knows what he’s doing.” He could only comfort the fairy who still remembered the Consort was pregnant.

“Mhm, I’m relieved.” Shuoling smiled again. “His Majesty has always looked after the Consort with meticulous care.”