Transmigrated as the Emperor, but Slacking Off - Chapter 25

Wen Xing’s brain was muddled and heavy. He dreamed once more of the moment he had died from overwork in his previous life; that sharp, stabbing pain in his heart tortured him for an unknown duration. It wasn’t until he felt his nerves were nearly numb that the sensation gradually faded, turning into a lingering, dull ache that he couldn’t shake.

He frowned deeply from the pain. As his consciousness slowly returned, he vaguely heard someone calling him: “Your Majesty.”

His eyelashes flickered lightly as Wen Xing slowly opened his eyes. His vision gradually focused, and several blurred silhouettes by the couch became clear.

Li Dequan said with concern, “Your Majesty, do you feel better?”

Wen Xing nodded slowly, feeling weak. Xing He also leaned in. “Master, you’ve slept for two whole days this time! That’s longer than any of your previous spells. Xing He thought you weren’t going to wake up.”

Before he could finish, the boy’s head was tapped by the old eunuch. “Watch your tongue!”

Zhai Yuanqing stepped forward to take his pulse. After a moment, he reassured him: “Your Majesty’s spell this time was too sudden and severe; it was only natural that there was no time to take medicine. I shall prescribe some soothing formulas, but remember: in the future, it is best to keep your medicine on your person to avoid sudden accidents.”

“The Palace Clothing Bureau can be instructed to modify Your Majesty’s sleeves to include a small pocket for the medicine,” Zhai Yuanqing urged Li Dequan with great worry. “There are always times when attendants cannot look after everything; His Majesty must have medicine ready at all times.”

Li Dequan nodded repeatedly. This episode of the Emperor’s had truly given him a fright, and he wiped the cold sweat from his brow in hindsight.

Wen Xing looked around and, seeing only the three of them in the room, asked: “Where is Ning Wujie?”

Li Dequan replied, “Lord Ning watched over you all day yesterday. Early this morning, he went to interrogate those prisoners who tried to break out of the jail.”

Wen Xing frowned. I’m still ill, yet this kid is in such a hurry to interrogate prisoners? Although he knew the stubborn man was merely trying to avoid him, Wen Xing still felt an inexplicable surge of displeasure. He thought of issuing an edict to summon him as usual, but suddenly felt it was pointless.

What’s the point? Why am I always the one eagerly calling him over? Just for fun?

Perhaps because he was ill, he wasn’t in a good mood. He simply rolled over and wrapped himself in his quilt, turning into a cocoon. “All of you, leave.”

Seeing Wen Xing’s sullen mood, Li Dequan guessed the reason immediately. His Majesty is upset because he didn’t see the ‘little beauty’ upon waking. He hurried to whisper a word to a young eunuch, who nodded repeatedly and ran out of the hall at a jog.

Half an hour later.

Ning Wujie entered Funing Hall, carrying a wave of cold air with him. He hadn’t even had time to change out of his blood-stained black Yesa robes before stepping into the bedchamber. The person on the couch had his eyes closed; it was unclear if he was asleep.

Ning Wujie’s hurried steps lightened immediately upon seeing the figure on the bed, and he walked over soundlessly. Seeing him arrive, Li Dequan very sensibly beckoned for the attendants to leave and even hauled out an unwilling Xing He from the rafters. He then stepped out of the chamber and closed the door quietly.

Ning Wujie stared at the person on the couch. His eyes were pitch black, like a bottomless pool of water, hiding unknown ripples beneath.

Wen Xing was not asleep; he was merely resting with his eyes closed. Sensing the movement, he slowly opened his eyes, and the youth’s grim face entered his sight. Ning Wujie’s eyes were crimson-rimmed. Usually, this only happened during extreme anger or after an all-nighter. Wen Xing was puzzled—he hadn’t done anything, had he?

“Are you angry?”

Ning Wujie lowered his eyes to mask his expression, suppressing the murderous aura he hadn’t managed to hide. He said in a deep voice, “I am not.”

“You are.”

Wen Xing sat up, leaning against the soft pillows. He scrutinized Ning Wujie, his gaze finally landing on the man’s clenched fist. That fist had been stitched up some time ago and the threads only recently removed; he had thought it had healed, but now the wounds had split open again, stained with blood.

He frowned. “Don’t tell me this was from interrogating prisoners again?”

Ning Wujie followed Wen Xing’s gaze and realized his fist had split once more. He wondered how Zhai Yuanqing would scold him this time. He recalled the scene today where he had been uncontrollably enraged, interrogating the participants of the jailbreak until they were a bloody mess to force out who had provided Gu Chengping with the gunpowder. The young eunuch who came to deliver the message had been scared out of his wits, wetting his pants on the spot.

Best not mention it. So he shook his head. “I simply didn’t protect the wound well.”

As he spoke, he walked to the basin to wash his hands, rinsing away the blood. Perhaps it was mostly the prisoners’ blood; he couldn’t tell anymore. Just the thought of Wen Xing’s appearance when he fell ill two days ago made him want to tear those people into a thousand pieces.

Without Gu Chengping’s explosives, the Emperor wouldn’t have had a spell. At that time, Wen Xing’s condition was critical, even scaring Zhai Yuanqing, who hurriedly called the entire Imperial Physician’s Office for a consultation administering acupuncture and performing emergency resuscitation. Even Xing He thought his Master was going to pass away, crying bitter tears of anxiety.

If anything happened to His Majesty… The moment this thought flashed by, Ning Wujie felt a chill down his spine and a soul-crushing pain. Thus, the moment he heard the Emperor had awakened, he rushed to the palace without even changing his clothes.

Standing by the basin, he thought for a moment, shed his Yesa robes to leave only his pure white undergarment, and walked slowly to Wen Xing’s side. His gaze fell on the medicine bowl nearby. “Does Your Majesty feel better? Why haven’t you taken your medicine?”

Ning Wujie picked up the bowl and offered it. Wen Xing looked at the man’s skeletal hand holding the bowl it was covered in red marks, the jarring contrast of red and white exceptionally striking. The inexplicable dissatisfaction in his heart vanished instantly. He curled his lips and looked at the man with a half-smile. “Don’t you usually hate learning the ‘Way of Serving the Sovereign’? Why are you so proactive today?”

Ning Wujie merely looked at him with a heavy gaze. “Your Majesty is ill and needs someone to serve him.”

Eh? Wen Xing suddenly noticed that today’s stubborn man was very, very different. According to his usual temper, shouldn’t he have said huffily: “Your Majesty has attendants”? Or made an excuse like: “I am but a warrior and fear I cannot serve you well”? Why was he so proactive today? It was almost overwhelming.

Wen Xing tentatively pushed further. “But the medicine is so bitter; I don’t want to drink it.”

Ning Wujie rose to get the preserved plums. Wen Xing stopped him. “I don’t want plums, and I don’t want sugar.”

Ning Wujie looked back at him in confusion. “Then what does Your Majesty want?”

Wen Xing smiled and beckoned to him with a finger. His clean, beautiful nails shimmered with light under the lamps, flashing in Ning Wujie’s eyes. As the youth leaned down, Wen Xing suddenly grabbed him by the lapels.

With his martial skills, Ning Wujie could have easily broken free, yet he acted as if he had no strength to resist, allowing an ill person to pull him into an impossibly close distance. They were so close that with just a slight tilt of his head, Wen Xing could have kissed Ning Wujie’s lips.

The youth’s breathing stopped.

Wen Xing spoke in an extremely low voice: “I want to kiss you.”

He didn’t know if he was some kind of pervert, but he had a wicked desire to see this kid cry. For some reason, his mind frequently recalled that single tear that had dropped onto his cheek last time. Those red eyes filled with misty moisture, their corners tinged with pink… it was truly beautiful.

He thought the other would struggle away as usual and glare at him with eyes burning with rage. But he didn’t. Ning Wujie’s eyelashes trembled, and his lips parted slightly; when he spoke, his breath practically brushed Wen Xing’s lips: “If I kiss you, will Your Majesty take the medicine?”

Wen Xing: ? So easy to talk to?

Inwardly confused, he only gave a hum. But before he could finish his sentence, he felt a coolness on his lips. He noticed that the moment Ning Wujie kissed him, the youth took a deep breath even his breathing was shaking. The lips were cool at first, then came a wave of damp heat. The man was using his tongue to sweep over the seam of his lips.

It was soft and smooth. Wen Xing’s eyes were wide open, his mind a total blank. Why? Shouldn’t it be like last time a brief touch like a dragonfly skimming water, and then turning away to secretly wipe a tear?

Before he could react, the other pulled away. Wen Xing looked up and finally saw the man’s crimson ears and the flush reaching the corners of his eyes. He didn’t cry? Though it was still beautiful enough. But is this even scientific?

Then he saw Ning Wujie look away, as if not daring to meet his eyes. “Take the medicine, Your Majesty.”

Wen Xing felt the lingering ache in his heart vanish instantly. He curled his lips, his mind spinning a wicked plan. Since he’s so easy to talk to today, I have to use a big move.

As the thought flashed by, he used a burst of strength to suddenly pull the man back, rolling over to pin Ning Wujie beneath him. The youth was lying on his back on the couch before he could react. Wen Xing leaned down and kissed those soft lips.

His tongue pried open the teeth, and Wen Xing drove in like he was conquering territory, instinctively hooking the youth’s hot tongue in an entanglement, then using his teeth to lightly nibble and tug at the other’s lips. Who wants to play house! If we’re kissing, we’re kissing properly.

Ning Wujie froze entirely, motionless as a stone, allowing the Sovereign to pin him down and demand a kiss. His gaze was vacant, his heart thundering like a drum the beat so violent it nearly burst out. The thumping heart and their heavy breathing intertwined; along with the pervasive scent of ambergris, everything was assaulting his consciousness. So hot, so burning.

After an unknown duration, the Sovereign seemed to have finally had enough. He sat up, practically straddling the man’s waist. He looked down from above, his gem-like eyes reflecting fragments of light beneath his long eyelashes. Ning Wujie watched as the other person extended those impossibly beautiful fingers to wipe the moisture from the corner of his mouth, before curling into a meaningful, satisfied smile.

He suddenly felt a surge of heat in his lower abdomen, and his expression froze. With the Emperor straddling his waist, he would surely notice. At this thought, Ning Wujie stiffened all over and suddenly shoved Wen Xing aside, decisively rolling off the couch.

If he were discovered, he would wish he could bash his head against a wall and die.

Wen Xing fell back onto the couch, watching as Ning Wujie looked panicked and lost. His entire neck and the roots of his ears were completely red; if he touched them, they would surely be scalding. He finally got his wish: seeing the man’s crimson eyes filled with a layer of misty moisture.

Exactly, this look of having suffered utter humiliation.

He picked up the medicine bowl and teased: “Since Lord Ning’s service is so good, the medicine is no longer bitter.” With that, he downed the medicine in one go. The Sovereign looked very satisfied.

Seeing that Wen Xing hadn’t noticed his abnormality, Ning Wujie secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Yet the Emperor pushed further, beckoning to him: “Come and warm the bed.”

Ning Wujie hesitated, peeking secretly at the hem of his clothes. He immediately tugged his robe down and said, “I haven’t bathed yet.”

Wen Xing recalled the blood-stained aura Ning Wujie had when he entered and nodded with great mercy. “Go then.”

The youth left the room in a flash. Wen Xing let out a sigh and leaned back against the soft pillows. That was really good to kiss. His tongue swept over the seam of his lips, and he narrowed his eyes. I want to do it again.

Inside the bathhouse, Ning Wujie shed his clothes and sat directly in the cold water. However, the scorching heat throughout his body did not diminish in the slightest. The kiss from moments ago lingered in his mind, refusing to fade. The warm, soft tactile sensation sent waves of electric currents through his nerves.

Ning Wujie glanced at the water, helplessly rubbing his temples and letting out a sigh. Inside the midnight bathhouse, suppressed gasps of breath gradually drifted out…

Wen Xing waited until he was bored. He had planned how to trick the man again once he returned, but Ning Wujie didn’t come for a long time. Eventually, he fell into a dazy sleep himself.

An unknown amount of time later, he felt a wave of coolness behind him. He frowned and turned to see Ning Wujie, who had changed into his undergarments and was lying behind him. He turned to face Ning Wujie in confusion.

The youth’s fringe was damp, and tiny water droplets clung to his eyelashes; even his eyes were misty. Combined with the red corners of his eyes, he looked pitiful against his jade-white skin.

“Why are you so cold?”

Ning Wujie’s eyes shifted beneath half-closed lids as he lied: “The bathhouse had no hot water.”

Wen Xing said angrily, “Those dog servants, how do they do their jobs?” He was about to call for someone, but Ning Wujie suddenly covered his mouth. Both of them were startled. Realizing his transgressive action, Ning Wujie hurriedly pulled his hand back and rolled over to get up. “Once I am warm, I shall warm the bed for Your Majesty.”

Before he could rise, he was pulled back by the person behind him. Ning Wujie turned his face. “Your Majesty?”

Wen Xing stared at a patch of crimson soaking through the back of Ning Wujie’s shoulder; blood had already stained the undergarment. He said with a grim face: “Take off your clothes.”

Ning Wujie: ! His pupils shrank, and he instinctively rose and retreated two steps. This fain— The word “faint-hearted ruler” was forcefully suppressed. Looking at Wen Xing’s pale, ill face, he couldn’t bring himself to say it regardless. But the other person finally wanted him to do “that” kind of thing as a bed-warming maid.

Impossible! Not even if I die. He looked away, exposing his red ears and the flush spreading down his neck. “I will not—”

Before he could finish, the Emperor on the couch had stepped to him in two strides and yanked open his collar. Ning Wujie reacted fast, grabbing Wen Xing’s wrist with a force that made Wen Xing frown. Wen Xing looked up to see Ning Wujie staring straight at him, his gaze full of wariness.

Wen Xing was puzzled. Why so fierce all of a sudden? Wasn’t he quite obedient when I let him kiss me? Sometimes he truly couldn’t understand the thought process of a youth. Although he had been a youth himself, he had never been this sensitive.

He let out a sigh, his gaze falling into Ning Wujie’s open collar. The wrapped bandages were already stained red by the seeping blood. “You’re injured?”

Ning Wujie followed his gaze and realized in hindsight that he had misunderstood again. He rubbed his forehead and said, “The burn from the day before yesterday.”

Only then did Wen Xing recall the image of Ning Wujie charging out from the fire on his horse. He had been relieved just to see him safe, but thinking back now, how could anyone emerge unscathed from such a sudden explosion? He said with a dark face, “Take it all off. Let me see.”

Ning Wujie hesitated for a moment before complying. The undergarment fell to his waist, revealing the bandages wrapped around his shoulder and back. The wrapping wasn’t very professional; it was obvious the kid had removed them and re-wrapped them himself.

“You went to bathe while injured?” Wen Xing’s voice was full of rebuke. Likely, the wound had been washed by water during the bath, causing the bleeding to start again.

Ning Wujie remained silent. Wen Xing shouted to the eunuch on duty in the corridor: “Call Zhai Yuanqing!” The eunuch complied and retreated. Wen Xing called Ning Wujie closer and personally began to unwrap the bandages.

As he worked, his gaze swept over Ning Wujie’s right arm; there was a faint scar there from the previous assassination attempt. The bandages fell away, revealing the burn on his left rear shoulder. The burn started at the shoulder and spread all the way to the shoulder blade. The bloody mess was shockingly crimson against his jade-colored skin, making Wen Xing’s pupils tremble violently.

His fists clenched unconsciously. “Where else are you hurt?”

Ning Wujie shook his head. “The horse blocked most of it; only this part was injured. But the horse died.”

Hearing this, a cold sweat broke out on Wen Xing’s forehead. Meaning if Ning Wujie hadn’t been on horseback, he wouldn’t be here now. His knuckles cracked as he clenched them, turning white. His tone became bone-chillingly cold: “Who gave Gu Chengping the gunpowder?”

Ning Wujie lowered his eyes. “The Ministry of Works, the Office of Armaments.”

Wen Xing grit his teeth. “Seeking death.”

“Xue Shichang, the Superintendent of the Gunpowder Depot, sold the powder privately to Gu Chengping. The trail ends there; I can’t investigate further. Those who tried to break the prison were hired private soldiers and underworld figures; they were very clean. On the surface, it can’t be linked to the Wang clan.”

But they both knew who had acted. Wen Xing let out a cold scoff. He had been careless; he should have expected this day when he openly broke ties with the Wang clan. How can one upend the table without paying a price? It was just that the price had become Ning Wujie. Wen Xing closed his eyes deeply. The Luohe Wang clan hadn’t aimed their spearhead directly at him because they still needed him as Emperor for now.

Heh. No evidence? Just wait.

Zhai Yuanqing was led into the room. Seeing Ning Wujie shirtless on the couch with the Emperor, his steps faltered. Thinking he had come at the wrong time, he was about to turn back when the Emperor said: “Come and look at his injury.”

“Yes.” Zhai Yuanqing walked over with lowered eyes, as if afraid of seeing something he shouldn’t. He knew it ever since the Emperor got the ‘little beauty,’ he wouldn’t have a peaceful night again. Being called frequently to handle the “after-affairs of the bed” was inevitable.

Only when he got close did he see that the Emperor’s clothes were tidy, and the little beauty had only shed his shirt. He let out a slight sigh of relief. However, the next moment, seeing the injury on Ning Wujie’s shoulder, his temple twitched, and he cast a complex look at his Sovereign.

He let out a faint sigh and said with hidden meaning: “Your Majesty, Lord Ning’s injury is a burn. There is medicine inside the bandages; they must not be removed, and they must absolutely not touch water. If… if it truly cannot be helped and they get ‘soiled,’ do not clean them yourself. Call me to handle it.”

Wen Xing sent this message to Ning Wujie with his eyes; the latter silently looked away. Zhai Yuanqing squeezed a tear of sympathy for Ning Wujie in his heart. To have such a Sovereign who doesn’t know restraint in bed… how pitiful.

Then he heard the Emperor say: “His hand is also injured. Look at it.”

Zhai Yuanqing: … Seeing Ning Wujie’s ill-fated right hand, the physician wanted to curse. This time, his gaze toward the Emperor held a hint of grievance. No matter how tough a warrior is, they cannot withstand such hounding! If he was a bit angry when he was scared away by Ning Wujie last time, he understood perfectly now. No one would have a good temper when faced with such a “rough” partner.

Zhai Yuanqing hesitated to speak but finally couldn’t help but advise the Emperor: “Your Majesty has just awakened; for the sake of your health, you must rest more. Doing ‘some things’ too much will inevitably harm the body.”

Wen Xing: ? Which things? But his mind was entirely on Ning Wujie’s injury, so he merely thought the physician wanted him to rest more and didn’t dwell on it.

He stared at Ning Wujie’s wound and asked, “Will it leave a scar?”

Zhai Yuanqing thought: It wouldn’t if you hounded him less. But he said politely: “Currently we are using wound medicine. Once the wound heals, if we carefully use the scar-removal ointment I formulated, it won’t leave a scar.”

Wen Xing’s brow eased. He watched as Zhai Yuanqing silently cleaned Ning Wujie’s wound and applied medicine. The bedchamber was silent enough to hear a pin drop. Once the physician retreated, Ning Wujie finished dressing and climbed into the quilts. The aura of the person beside him was now warm and snug; Wen Xing’s brow relaxed, and he closed his eyes comfortably.

In his heart, he thought: Just wait. I won’t swallow this indignity for nothing.

After a moment of thought, he said: “Pick a few military generals you trust, and then list some good ones from this year’s new graduates for me. If you can’t decide, you can ask the Grand Tutor. It’s time some people… moved along.”

Ning Wujie turned to look at Wen Xing. He could guess what Wen Xing wanted to do, but since when did this faint-hearted ruler take the initiative to care about administration? He gave a low “Mhm.”

Wen Xing didn’t speak again. Before long, a wave of sleepiness hit him, and he soon fell into a deep sleep. Hearing the rhythmic breathing of the person beside him, Ning Wujie turned onto his side. Looking at Wen Xing’s profile, a delicate silhouette traced by the dim yellow candlelight, he felt a sudden impulse.

He reached out and gathered Wen Xing’s soft waist, gently pulling the man into his arms. He buried his head in the other’s neck. The scent of ambergris was rich, soundlessly drifting into his nose. He took a long, deep breath, as if wanting to swallow all the fragrance into his belly, and finally closed his eyes with satisfaction.