When the Puppet Emperor Becomes a Heartthrob - Chapter 11

But Sheng Mingyue was willing.

He closed his eyelids, and no one could see the emotions in his eyes; only his rational voice could be heard.

“It is impossible. Your Majesty has faced assassins and poisoning; you cannot be left without protection.”

Even so, Qin Mingjing could still hear the irony in his tone. He was mocking the young emperor for being simple-minded. Rather than showing his own trump cards, he should be using his brain to think about how to survive in the deep palace.

However, the young emperor’s gaze was like a torch, clear and honest, filled with undeniable firmness. At that moment, Qin Mingjing saw the shadow of a king upon the young emperor, and he was completely stunned.

The next moment, he regained his senses and said helplessly, “Poisoning? They actually dared to poison Your Majesty!”

“Kneel down! Who told you to stand up!”

Xi Huai was stunned. He had never seen Qin Mingjing angry before. Even when he used his little emperor persona to humiliate him, Qin Mingjing had always accepted it willingly. But now, because the little emperor had once been poisoned and assassinated, Qin Mingjing was glaring with bared teeth, looking like a wild beast and revealing a violent side.

He was already tall, and having fought in battles for years, his killing intent was overwhelming, startling Xi Huai into taking a few steps back.

Xi Huai should have been touched. But he was not.

Don’t get excited, Old Qin. I sent the male lead to provide disaster relief, firstly to change the original plot, and secondly to keep him far away from the palace so he does not have nothing to do but think about killing me. Unfortunately, Qin Mingjing was completely unaware of this.

Xi Huai could not help but frown and rebuke, “Qin Mingjing, the Chief Councilor is a high-ranking official and the person who best represents the face of the Great Qing. Only by going to the North with you can he soothe the hearts of the people.”

Qin Mingjing was still unrelenting, looking up at him and saying, “I understand, but if I leave, how will Your Majesty deal with Empress Dowager Wen and the Regent? Your Majesty’s life is not just your own life.”

“I know.” Xi Huai was truly terrified of Qin Mingjing’s concern. He was strict with himself and had spent many years in military camps, which made him rigid and unable to adapt, only recognizing stubborn logic. He was exactly like the stereotypical image he had of his own teacher. “I understand, you do not need to worry. I have the Li family assisting me in the court.”

Qin Mingjing: “?”

Upon hearing this, Qin Mingjing revealed an expression of absurdity. “Your Majesty, you do not know, Imperial Concubine Li is not a Concubine, but the person who assassinated you previously.”

Enough! Teacher, stop reading; the student knows he was wrong. Understood, understood, he knew the assassin was Li Wan’s lover; could he stop mentioning how he was cuckolded?

“Your Majesty has known about this all along?”

He knew that Li Wan was not Li Wan, but the Li family’s illegitimate son, Li Jue. In order to substitute for his sister, Li Wan, Li Jue had entered the palace in women’s clothing. So the Emperor already knew. Knowing this, why shield him?

Qin Mingjing could not understand. He looked at Xi Huai with an expression of unresolvable anger and disregard for his own life. He really wanted to open Xi Huai’s brain to see what was inside. It was not until he thought of Xi Huai’s heroic words that he realized the Emperor knew everything. Even knowing that, he had disregarded his own life just to provide disaster relief in the North.

Your Majesty has changed.

Xi Huai was completely unaware that he had become a wise monarch in Qin Mingjing’s eyes, only thinking that Qin Mingjing looked gloomy because he found out he was being cuckolded. “In short, I do not need you to stay in the capital. Compared to me, the people of the Great Qing are more important. Qin Mingjing, will you accept or not?”

Qin Mingjing’s body trembled, his heart shaking violently. He could not help but look up at Xi Huai. He was still the same as in the past, reckless and impulsive. But for some reason, he felt that this was the result of deep consideration by the young lad before him, rather than a rash, offhand remark.

That determined gaze made his eyelashes tremble, and he lowered his eyelids, not daring to meet his eyes, saying only, “I accept. I accept.”

Qin Mingjing left in a daze. It was not until his back was far away that Xi Huai finally breathed a sigh of relief. He did not expect to see Sheng Mingyue watching him in thought, remaining silent.

Xi Huai: “…”

You haven’t left yet, Brother. Since you are here, make a sound, won’t you?

Xi Huai coughed lightly and advised, “Teacher, since Qin Mingjing has accepted the order, please resolve the disaster as quickly as possible and return to the capital soon.”

Sheng Mingyue watched him, those eyes looking at him with terrifying calmness. “Has Your Majesty really decided to lend General Qin to me?”

Even though the court is isolated and helpless, and besides Qin Mingjing, no one cares about you, and everyone wants you dead. Someone like you really wants to lend General Qin, the only one who can help you, to an outsider for the sake of disaster relief?

Sheng Mingyue scrutinized Xi Huai. The incompetent foolish ruler from not long ago had suddenly transformed into a wise emperor. Could people really change that much?

Xi Huai shuddered, cold sweat breaking out all over his body. Sheng Mingyue was truly not to be underestimated; he would think through every word and action, not giving him a chance to catch his breath. But he had his own selfish motives; he was not just doing it for disaster relief, but also to get Sheng Mingyue out of the palace. Only when Sheng Mingyue left the palace would he not be killed by him.

“Teacher.”

Xi Huai felt the air thinning. He was afraid his shallow thoughts would be seen through. His heart was pounding, and he felt as if he were suffocating, his body even trembling, until a pair of hands gripped his neck.

“Your Majesty’s illness has recovered. Not long ago, I heard that Your Majesty had a high fever and did not attend the morning court. It turns out Your Majesty just wanted to slack off and avoid trouble.”

Sheng Mingyue’s tone of catching him in the act made Xi Huai stiffen. He even forgot to brush off the hands on his neck. No, this was a huge misunderstanding; he was not slacking off. He had only realized his illness was cured shortly after waking up in the early morning.

“Teacher has misunderstood. Yesterday my body still felt like it was in the frozen land, and if I had not dreamed of a falling oven, I might have frozen to death in my sleep.”

The hands on his neck trembled. “An oven?”

Xi Huai trembled as well. Why is everyone’s focus on his neck? He had finally discovered it; they all wanted to strangle him, right?

Sheng Mingyue laughed softly, changing his grip to a stroking motion. The trace left by the mosquito bite became hot under his touch.

“Don’t, don’t touch it.” Xi Huai’s entire face flushed red with embarrassment. He shrunk his neck back out of habit, wanting to dodge, but Sheng Mingyue had already released him.

“Since it was an oven that cured Your Majesty, Your Majesty should be very grateful to it.” Sheng Mingyue lowered his eyelids playfully, looking at the boy’s eyes with a gentleness that even he had not noticed.

The boy’s expression twisted. “Grateful to an oven? Does Teacher want me to get sick again?”

“Isn’t it because Your Majesty does not want to hold the morning court?”

He let out another soft laugh, blinking as he saw a mole on the side of the boy’s ear. It was small, shyly hidden on the side of his ear, just like the hedgehog in front of him.

The hedgehog was so nervous that its voice was trembling. “I, I did not mean to skip the morning court.”

It was more like a startled cat, standing its tail straight up, glaring at him with those beautiful eyes. The way he looked so uneasy made his emotions stir slightly. He raised his lips in a smile. Even though it was a normal smile, only he knew that he was relaxed at this moment; this was a smile from the bottom of his heart.

After the smile, he felt an unprecedented absurdity. Due to Xi Huai’s words, he had once again experienced emotions he should not have.

Sheng Mingyue frowned, and under Xi Huai’s horrified gaze, he put on his usual fake smile. “Your Majesty, I am not angry.”

“However, if Your Majesty has fully recovered, I hope Your Majesty will attend the morning court early, listen to the ministers’ advice, and think about the national foundation of the Great Qing.”

“I will set off for the North tomorrow; Your Majesty must not neglect your studies.”

“I have nothing else to do, so I will not disturb Your Majesty anymore and will take my leave.”

After speaking, Sheng Mingyue stopped looking at him and turned away, his eyes full of gloom.

Xi Huai: “?”

The male lead just left like that? What did he come here for?

Xi Huai lay back on the bed, absent-minded, and tapped into the chat group in the gaps of his thoughts.

Civil Service Exam Novel Male Lead: “Brother! You are finally online!”

Xi Huai replied, touched: “Were you waiting for me?”

Apocalypse Novel Male Lead: “No, I just wanted to ask, did you really eat the Health Tonic?”

Health Tonic? Thinking of this, Xi Huai asked angrily: “My cold made me physically weak, so I took a Health Tonic, but I ended up with a persistent high fever and only recovered this morning. Did you send the wrong medicine?”

The group fell silent, but the Imperial Harem Novel Supporting Female Lead quickly asked what had happened recently.

Xi Huai sniffled. Only the palace group would worry about him. The Imperial Harem Novel Supporting Female Lead was a good person. He talked about moving the male lead to a new post, praising himself as he spoke: “I am truly a little genius. By moving the male lead to a new post, the male lead has no way to kill me in the short term.”

Imperial Harem Novel Supporting Female Lead: “…You are amazing. So the person you saw yesterday was the male lead?”

“You are too kind, you are too kind. Yes, I even ordered the Chief Councilor male lead to become my Grand Tutor yesterday.”

House-fighting Novel Supporting Male Lead was stunned: “What? The male lead did not refuse your invitation?”

Invitation? Inviting the male lead to be his teacher? Xi Huai proudly lifted his chin: “Naturally, he did not refuse. This is all thanks to the gift from the Apocalypse Novel Male Lead; ‘Hear My Words’ is very useful, it is just a pity that this skill is a one-time product.”

The group fell silent again. Although Xi Huai was dull, he still sensed something was wrong. Just as he was wondering, the Apocalypse Novel Male Lead stiffly changed the subject: “…You are happy, so that is good. How is the Xianxia Novel Supporting Male Lead recently?”

Xianxia Novel Supporting Male Lead said with a broken heart: “The trash master only wants me to dig out my heart and exchange it for my senior brother’s heart that he finally found. Who understands? It turns out I was always just a substitute for the senior brother!”

House-fighting Novel Supporting Male Lead: “Substitute literature, the clown turns out to be yourself.”

Imperial Harem Novel Supporting Female Lead: “Substitute? This is clearly a ‘chasing wife to the crematorium’ trope.”

Hearing this, Xi Huai’s attention was truly diverted again. He was furious; what kind of bullshit script was the Xianxia Novel Supporting Male Lead holding? He was angry, so angry that his fists clenched. He was so frustrated by the bullshit script that he flew into a rage and hurriedly sent a red envelope.

Xianxia Novel Supporting Male Lead: “How are you going to vent for me?”

Inside the red envelope was a “Wolf Heart and Dog Lungs.”

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