Captured by the Emperor After a Successful Faked Death - Chapter 5

It wasn’t until the following day that Xie Chengyun slowly woke up to find Zhu Yunyin sleeping by his bedside. He reached out, intending to stroke the little Emperor’s hair, but the moment his hand touched him, Zhu Yunyin stirred awake.

The boy rubbed his eyes and whispered, “Father-in-court.”

“Why didn’t you go back to sleep? Why were you hunched over here?”

“I was worried about you, Father-in-court. Is there anywhere you feel uncomfortable?”

It would have been fine if he hadn’t asked, but at that question, Xie Chengyun felt a wave of dizziness, and his body felt as if it had been run over by a carriage.

Zhu Yunyin held his hand. “The physician said it is a chronic ailment exacerbated by long-term illness and intense physical exertion. Their medical skills are limited; they can only offer temporary relief. To truly treat the illness, we must go see Mr. Han.”

Xie Chengyun nodded in understanding. As he rose, he asked, “And Biji?”

“The Marquis of Dingyuan is attending the Spring Hunt.”

Upon hearing this, Xie Chengyun knew that Zhou Biji would certainly seek retribution on his behalf. Thinking of the Fierce General’s face, Xie Chengyun silently offered a prayer for him in his heart. Look after yourself, General.

Though he was bedridden and unable to see it for himself, the outcome of the Spring Hunt was obvious. Zhou Biji treated them like grandsons, and Xie Chengyun himself had been living quite comfortably of late, as the little Emperor was remarkably skilled at nursing him. A single glance told the boy he was thirsty, and a mere gesture told him he was cold.

Xie Chengyun had entered his “retirement” life early, being served hand and foot. The only pity was that the sachet Miss Zhuang had given him was gone. He had searched high and low, but it was nowhere to be found. He even had the little Emperor help him look, but the boy had gently persuaded him to rest instead.

Thinking of Xie Chengyun sighing on the bed, Zhu Yunyin had long since tossed the sachet into the fire. “I would rather wed the sharp blade of a sword than marry a dull youth,” indeed. The Father-in-court was his; he was no sharp blade—he was his most precious treasure.

Xie Chengyun’s condition never quite improved, and his coughing fits made him feel as if his body were falling apart. With Zhou Biji handling the hunt, he decided it was best to return and let Mr. Han take a look. Buzhou Mountain, being in the wilds, lacked proper facilities and was often short on medicine. Zhou Biji gave an emphatic wave of his hand, telling him to head back.

Just as he was about to leave, Zhu Yunyin clung to him, insisting on coming along.

Xie Chengyun coaxed him: “Your Majesty, the Spring Hunt still requires your presence.”

“The Marquis of Dingyuan is there; I have arranged all matters, large and small, for him to handle.”

“Your Majesty, don’t you want to stay and see if there are any young ladies who catch your eye?”

“Father-in-court, the Great Cause remains unfulfilled; how could Yunyin dare to entertain thoughts of romance?”

Xie Chengyun had no response to that, so he let Zhu Yunyin accompany him back. Zhou Biji was highly disapproving when he heard, grumbling that he spoiled the Emperor too much. Xie Chengyun couldn’t help it; after all, the boy was still an adolescent.

The life of a harem-novel protagonist might be an exhilarating one, but it was strung together with various disasters; there wouldn’t be many good days ahead for him. At the very least, he could make the little Emperor’s life a bit better before he died—it wasn’t like he had many years left anyway.

What? You ask why he knows he will die young? That went back to the five years Shi Shini had stopped updating. Fans had dissected the book so thoroughly that, in the midst of a “book famine,” a whole field of “Shi Studies” had developed. That Xie Chengyun would die young and die miserably was something proven by doctoral researchers of “Shi Studies,” with an impeccable chain of evidence. How delighted Xie Chengyun had been reading it then was exactly how much he wanted to cry now.

Xie Chengyun looked up at the sky, feeling a sense of desolation. On second thought, I still have the System cheat. The System had only been present on the first day of his transmigration and hadn’t appeared since.

007, 007, Xie Chengyun called internally. I am diligently following the plot; are there any employee benefits?

Beep,

With a startup sound, a voice echoed in his mind: “If the host completes the task and lives out Xie Chengyun’s life, this company can backtrack through time and space to help the host return home.”

Return home! That would be wonderful! Xie Chengyun waved a tearful hand: Computers, phones, air conditioners, refrigerators, sugary sodas—you just wait for me!

Once he was home, he wouldn’t need to fear the little Emperor growing up and settling scores; he would have long since packed his bags and returned to the modern era, and whatever severe torture was in store for him would have nothing to do with him.

His mood began to improve. Turning back, he saw Zhu Yunyin waiting by the carriage, holding his cloak. What a well-behaved child; how did he turn into such a deviant when he grew up? Xie Chengyun sighed and walked toward him.

The little Emperor helped him into the carriage, let Xie Chengyun lean on his shoulder, and tucked the cloak around him. The carriage rattled and swayed, and Xie Chengyun felt sleepy once again. He didn’t know what was wrong lately; he was always so tired.

In his dreams, there were flashes of steel, fire, and cries of pain. He even dreamt that he had jumped into a river. Amitabha, may goodness prevail; once I return, I must find a temple to pay my respects.

When he woke up, he was already at home. The little Emperor didn’t return to the palace, choosing instead to follow obediently by his side. Xie Chengyun figured that the boy must be stifled living in the palace all the time, so he didn’t send him away and let him be.

Mr. Han was already waiting at the manor, and as expected, he was met with a scathing lecture the moment he appeared. Xie Chengyun felt he had lost face and wanted to retort, but one look at Han Cizhi’s furious face silenced him, and he listened dutifully to the scolding.

It was Zhu Yunyin who spoke: “Mr. Han, the Hu people were the ones who bullied us; it was not the Father-in-court’s fault.”

Xie Chengyun quietly observed Han Cizhi’s expression, sensing the man had more to say. But out of respect for the little Emperor’s presence, Han Cizhi finally shut his mouth.

Seeing Mr. Han frostily writing out a prescription, Xie Chengyun tentatively whispered, “Cizhi…”

“Out with it.”

Xie Chengyun blinked with practiced good nature. “Cizhi, I want to go to Fayuan Temple to recover.”

Xie Chengyun expected Han Cizhi to keep scolding him, but he merely replied, “Fine.”

“Ah?” Xie Chengyun thought he had misheard.

“You’ve finally decided to rest? I thought you were made of iron, unlike us mortals of flesh and blood.”

Xie Chengyun rubbed his nose sheepishly. Mr. Han added, “It’s good that Fayuan Temple isn’t far from the capital; the Buddha’s realm is pure and peaceful, which is perfect for your recovery. Just focus on your health, and stop thinking about messy things. Didn’t the Marquis of Dingyuan return to the capital? Rest well while he’s here.”

“He is but a martial man; what does he know of governing a country?”

Seeing Mr. Han ready to berate him again, Xie Chengyun hurriedly raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, I know, I understand. I will focus on my health.”

Such a Xie Chengyun made Zhu Yunyin chuckle, a small “pfft” escaping him. Only then did Xie Chengyun realize the little Emperor was still there. He rolled his eyes, beckoned to the little Emperor as if he were calling a dog, and said, “Does Your Majesty wish to accompany your servant to the temple for some quiet cultivation?”

Zhu Yunyin longed for nothing more than to be alone with Xie Chengyun. To avoid any unnecessary trouble, they did not use their true identities, claiming instead to be a widower with a child. Since the little Emperor had been calling him “Father-in-court” for so long, what was a few more “Father”s?

Ask any man if he can refuse being called ‘Dad’ by someone else—especially when the one calling him ‘Dad’ is a stud-horse male lead. Xie Chengyun felt incredibly gratified; had he not transmigrated into a book, he could have bragged about this for a year.

Upon reaching the temple, a novice monk guided them to their lodgings. Perhaps considering their “father-son” relationship, the little Emperor was not far from him—just across the hall.

But Xie Chengyun had accounted for everything except one thing: temple vegetarian food. It was utterly flavorless a pity to abandon, yet tasteless to eat. Life was already bitter enough with daily medicine, and now he had to eat radishes and cabbage; Xie Chengyun felt the acid churning in his stomach.

Zhu Yunyin noticed the bitter expression on Xie Chengyun’s face and then looked at the bowl; he understood instantly. He had someone go outside to buy snacks to bring back for his Father-in-court to “refresh his palate.”

True to form, Xie Chengyun’s eyes lit up when he saw the food, and his gaze toward Zhu Yunyin became exceptionally affectionate. He sighed repeatedly, “Good child, good child, Father truly hasn’t pampered you in vain.” He had completely forgotten that he was the one being cared for by the child.

Zhu Yunyin watched Xie Chengyun eat with a smile, wiping his mouth and tidying his hair from time to time. If someone had walked in then, they might have thought Zhu Yunyin was the father.

After eating his fill, “Father Xie” went out for a stroll to aid his digestion. “Student Zhu” followed behind with great perceptiveness, listening to Father Xie tell some rather unconventional stories. Zhu Yunyin had heard Xie Chengyun lecture countless times on self-cultivation and statecraft, but this was the first time he had heard such strange, intriguing stories; he found them truly novel.

However, Father Xie hadn’t even finished his first story when he was drawn away by a topic of discussion between two young women nearby. Springtime was the season for outings, and many daughters followed their parents to Fayuan Temple to offer incense. It was said that the “Marriage Tree” at Fayuan Temple was the most efficacious of all.

He saw the two young women hanging a marriage charm on the tree, muttering, “I hope Xie Chengyun and Zhou Biji can be together. I hope Xie Chengyun and Zhou Biji can be together. I hope Xie Chengyun and Zhou Biji can be together.” They felt that wasn’t enough and bowed to the tree repeatedly.

There are so many people in the world with the same name. The customs of Shangliang were open-minded, and Xie Chengyun, truly curious, stepped forward and bowed. “May I ask which Xie Chengyun and which Zhou Biji the young ladies are speaking of?”

The ladies looked at him as if he were an idiot. “What other Xie Chengyun and Zhou Biji are there in Shangliang? Naturally, it is the Prime Minister Xie and the Marquis of Dingyuan.”

Xie Chengyun was thoroughly horrified. “Then… what are you doing…”

The ladies offered a fangirl-like smile, saying mysteriously, “You don’t understand this, do you? Prime Minister Xie and the Marquis of Dingyuan are childhood sweethearts. They must have been secretly in love for a long time; we are just here to make the red thread more secure.”

Damn it. The book said the customs were open, but he didn’t know it was that open. Xie Chengyun managed to recover a shred of reason. “This is, after all, a private matter; how do the two of you know of this?”

The two young women mysteriously produced a book of stories; the blue cover was inscribed with black characters, Golden Wind and Jade Dew.

At that time, Xie Chengyun didn’t understand the implication. It was only after staying up all night to read it that he understood it meant: When the Golden Wind and the Jade Dew meet, they surpass countless numbers of mortals.

He was so frightened he had nightmares all night long. The Marquis of Dingyuan was indeed a man of exceptional demeanor talented, handsome, and the idol of all men—but damn it, he was straight! Straight!!!

That night, it wasn’t just Xie Chengyun who couldn’t sleep; Zhu Yunyin was awake as well. Zhu Yunyin had it even worse; his subordinates were so considerate that they had not only bought Golden Wind and Jade Dew, but also the latest release: The Beauty Saved at Buzhou Mountain.

The little Emperor was jealous to the point of distortion, and the sour scent of his envy wafted all the way into Xie Chengyun’s room. Xie Chengyun tossed and turned, dreaming that the little Emperor had grown up and was settling scores not only was he going to slice him into a thousand pieces, but he was going to force him to drink vinegar!