Your Majesty, Please Be Obedient - Chapter 18

The dream ended. He did not fall and shatter into pieces as he had imagined. Instead, he was caught steadily in a pair of arms.

In that moment, Jiang Qiyan thought that whether in dreams or reality, it was this person, who had etched tenderness into his very bones and blood, who caught him time and time again.

“What did you dream about? Tell Master,” said the extremely gentle voice. It was as if the voice softened time itself. Those unpleasant memories of the past were easily swept away by Master like fading smoke.

He hugged Master’s waist. His small hands were too short to wrap all the way around, but he held on tightly, as if trying to press his entire being against him.

“If you do not wish to speak, then forget it.” A large hand settled on his back, pulling the quilt up a bit to cover his shoulders. “Do you still want to sleep? It is still early.”

“No more sleep.”

“Then let us get up.” Pu Tingsong draped an outer garment over himself. The cold wind pierced through his thin sleeves, drawing a sigh from him. “It is quite cold. Sit obediently for a moment. Master will find a thicker set of clothes for you.”

Jiang Qiyan remained wrapped in the quilt, surrounded by Master’s lingering warmth. Sitting in that warmth, a sense of longing arose within him for some reason. He wanted to hold onto it a little longer and did not want it to dissipate.

Why? He seemed to be overly reliant on Master. But then again, Master was likely the only person willing to give him such a reliance. Master was truly, truly wonderful.

Pu Tingsong returned quickly. He did not attend to himself first, but instead focused on helping the boy dress. Jiang Qiyan’s eyes grew moist. He rubbed them, pretending to yawn. Master clearly did not have to endure the freezing cold for so long. It would not have mattered if Jiang Qiyan had waited a little longer. Yet, Master still chose to look after him first.

After tying the last silk ribbon, Pu Tingsong draped a fiery red fox fur cloak over him and leaned down to tie a beautiful plum blossom knot. Master’s hands were very skillful. This knot was so exquisite that it did not seem like an object of the mortal world.

He stared at it, unable to look away. His hand instinctively reached out to touch it, though he did so very carefully for fear of loosening it.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes.” Naturally, he did. It was so delicate. In fact, it was the finest he had ever seen.

In the past, he had seen the legitimate sons and daughters of court officials. Even the most favored child among them wore nothing more than a simple butterfly knot. Who would be willing to put so much effort into such a simple matter? It was just a way of tying a string; surely any knot would serve the same purpose?

But Master was different from them.

Jiang Qiyan looked down at himself. At his waist was an orchid knot. A young gentleman’s fine reputation is like an orchid. Usually, hanging an orchid shaped jade buckle would suffice. Who else would have ribbons hand woven like this?

The inner garments were all fastened with pipa knots. This method of tying kept the excess ribbon flat so it would not press uncomfortably against the skin. Upon his chest sat a large, red plum blossom, resting exactly in the center of his collarbones. The plum represents a gentleman. If guests came to the manor today, the first thing they would see was this plum blossom.

With just one look, one could see how much heart Master had put into him.

Jiang Qiyan touched the petals of the plum blossom and looked up to see Master tying a casual knot for himself. Unlike the intricate work on the boy, the knot Master tied for himself was plain and unremarkable. To have such a teacher, how fortunate was he?

“Come here.” Long fingers curved slightly, beckoning him. “Master will do little Qiyan’s hair. We shall dress you up beautifully so you will have more face when you see the other children.”

“And what about Master?” Master would not go to receive guests with his hair just tied back casually like that, would he? Master had to see so many adults from other families; surely he needed to maintain his face even more.

“As for Master,” Pu Tingsong pondered for a moment. “Unless the Emperor visits in person, it is fine for Master to be like this. Even if the Censorate sought to impeach me, I am not improperly dressed, merely not overly formal.”

Pu Tingsong sighed softly. “There has been a recent death in the family. Master has no heart to formalize his attire. I believe Master Chen will understand.”

Yes, Master’s father had passed away only a few years ago. Even though Master had no heart to groom himself, he still did all this. Was it because he was afraid Jiang Qiyan would not be able to hold his head up in front of his peers?

Jiang Qiyan could no longer hold it back. Tears fell one after another. Just as he was about to lower his head to hide them, a hand reached out first, meticulously wiping them away. “You love to cry so much, yet why have you not grown a tear mole?”

“I, I do not know.” The moment Master’s face moved closer, Jiang Qiyan froze for a second.

Below the outer corner of Master’s right eye, there was a tear mole. Master’s eyes were deep and long. With such deep corners, if he were to shed tears, they would likely be held there for a long time before falling. Perhaps most of the time, he pulled them back before they even had a chance to fall.

Acting on a strange impulse, Jiang Qiyan reached out and used his index finger to lightly press against that faint mole, rubbing it a few times. He felt an indescribable sensation, a bit suffocating and a bit painful.

Pu Tingsong started slightly and sighed. He straightened his body, not allowing the child to continue touching the area under his eye.

It had been nearly five years. Over four years ago, a drop of a close relative’s blood had splattered there. Since then, a mole had appeared, as if someone was worried and left a memory on his body. Did the old man still not forget to admonish him even in death? But how could he be willing to dedicate his life to people who meant nothing to him?

Imperial power is the most irrational thing in this world. How could he be content to have his life taken away by a single imperial decree, just like his father? Therefore, imperial power must be held firmly in his own hands, grasped tightly without a single moment of slack.

“Let us comb your hair. Sit still.” Pu Tingsong lowered his eyes to hide those rebellious thoughts.

As Master combed his hair, an old servant brought a bowl of warm milk. He took the milk and held it in his arms to drink. Like the others before, the old servant did not dare to look at him much, let alone stay. As soon as the bowl was handed over, the servant withdrew quickly.

Jiang Qiyan was used to it. Someone brought milk every morning, and it was never the same person. The only thing they had in common was that everyone avoided him as if he were a plague, not even having the courage to look up at him. At first, he would wonder and let his mind wander. But after experiencing it so many times, he no longer took it to heart.

Jiang Qiyan narrowed his eyes, enjoying the fleeting sensation of Master’s cool fingers moving through his hair. Pu Tingsong lightly scratched the top of the child’s head with three fingers. Just as he expected, the child tilted his neck back, following his fingers and wanting him to scratch more. Like a small animal that had been kicked out of its nest from a young age and was desperate for its master’s affection. This Jiang Qiyan, it was undeniable that he was very satisfying.

Once the hair was tied, Pu Tingsong withdrew his hand, not lingering despite the child’s silent plea to stay. He simply held out his hand, waiting for the small one to take it. Jiang Qiyan placed his hand in Master’s palm and was led to the front courtyard.

After breakfast, a few people began handing over visiting cards at the gatehouse and were led inside. By noon, not many people had arrived. Most were high ranking officials or some princes and princesses. In fact, no one below the second rank dared to set foot in the Imperial Preceptor’s manor.

But Jiang Qiyan did not know this. He waited with Master for a long time, and the number of visitors was small. His heart grew increasingly sad. Master had only recently entered the court. Did everyone look down on him? In the days leading up to the New Year, he had accompanied Master in the study to write many invitations, yet so few people were willing to come. Not a single member of the imperial family had arrived. Those who came were all kings with different surnames.

Fortunately, the people who came to the banquet were very friendly. They brought many gifts and even prepared a share for him. Jiang Qiyan observed their clothing. Aside from the princes, most were very plain. They must have come from humble backgrounds. Their families were likely not wealthy, yet they still carefully prepared gifts.

Jiang Qiyan picked up a return gift and handed it to a newly arrived elder with a long beard.

“This old official thanks the Crown Prince.” The elder walked to him and gave him a tiger shaped sugar person. “This is the year of the tiger. I wish the Prince great vitality.”

“Thank you. I wish,” he did not know how to address the man, but Master’s hint came from above. “This is the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, surnamed Li.”

Rank five? Jiang Qiyan immediately said politely, “Minister Li, Happy New Year.”

Master had taught him etiquette last night. He was the heir apparent, and when meeting officials, he should address them as Minister. Otherwise, it would be a breach of etiquette. He remembered it all well, fearing he might make a mistake and cause trouble for Master.

Li Xiuzhu, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, sighed. He had specifically borrowed a middle rank official robe from a subordinate last night and did not even dare to hang his waist token. He was terrified the Crown Prince would see through the ruse and give the Imperial Preceptor a reason to take his old life. He thought he had been cautious enough. But once he walked in and saw those old foxes, especially Chancellor Wen, wearing low rank official uniforms, he realized he was still too green.

However, it was understandable. He worked in the Ministry of Revenue and dealt mostly with records. It was normal that he did not have the deep schemes of those battle hardened old men. As soon as he was seated, even Chancellor Wen had to stand up and bow, as his official rank was technically the highest.

Li Xiuzhu’s scalp felt numb. He tremblingly accepted the bows, trying to act as though he deserved them. He feared this would be the case every year from now on. After all, no one could say for sure if the Crown Prince had already memorized their identities.

Li Xiuzhu was right. Jiang Qiyan had indeed memorized everyone present in his heart. These people were willing to support Master, so they were very, very good people. If he had the power in the future, or even ascended the throne, he would surely take good care of them. Their ranks were so low, yet they dared to risk being disliked by the Emperor and having their careers cut short just to be on good terms with Master. This kindness must be repaid.

However, Jiang Qiyan was a little worried. These officials seemed very old and could barely walk steadily. Several had almost tripped when entering. He naturally did not know that Chancellor Wen and the others were terrified because they saw the Imperial Preceptor personally greeting them at the door. Who were they to deserve such a greeting from this iron fisted God of Slaughter?

After all, for the past year and a half, or more accurately, four and a half years, though Pu Tingsong had no official rank for the first three years while mourning his father, these old men knew better than anyone. They knew exactly how Xunhua Pavilion and Pu Tingsong had used less than five years to uproot dissidents and seize total power.

Only Xu Jingwu, the king with a different surname who had guarded the borders for twenty years without stepping into the imperial city, held a bit more military power. Pu Tingsong truly covered the sky with one hand. As long as he did not openly rebel, Xu Jingwu could not enter the pass. And as long as Xu Jingwu did not enter, no one could contend with Xunhua Pavilion and Pu Tingsong.

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