Chapter 6

Nie, the little emperor, slept for quite a long time.

The soft cushion beneath her was truly a fine thing! If not for something pressing down on her, making it hard to breathe, she surely could have rubbed against the silky padding and slept a little longer.

She had slept for so long that even her face felt numb.

When she finally managed to open her eyes and saw that striking face right next to hers, she was dazed for a moment, almost thinking she was still dreaming.

Once she regained her senses and remembered exactly whose tightly shut eyes and brows those belonged to, Nie Qinglin let out a slow, quiet breath.

She was used to seeing the Grand Tutor in his elegant robes, his attire always immaculate and his demeanor refined.

But now, to suddenly find this living King of Hell lying beside her, dressed only in his inner garments with his collar slightly open—how could she not be shocked?

The man was deeply asleep, his phoenix eyes shut, his thick lashes casting shadows, yet his sharp brows were still furrowed, as if in a dream he was sentencing some unfortunate soul to death.

His arm, solid as iron, was draped heavily over her waist, no wonder she had been struggling to breathe in her sleep.

Back when she used to secretly read leisure books, just as the romantic scholar and beauty reached the pivotal moment on the bed, all she ever got was the creaking of the bed frame.

The more detailed parts were always hidden behind thick curtains, leaving only her imagination to fill in the gaps.

But now, a well-built, muscle-bound man, slightly disheveled, was right before her eyes.

As her gaze followed the open collar downward… his firm, sculpted muscles exuded raw strength.

So this was the difference between a man and a woman! A sturdy arm like that—if it were to move vigorously—no wonder the bed would creak and groan!

Nie Qinglin remained motionless, but her mind was wandering.

One moment, she was wondering what on earth her mother had been thinking, making her impersonate her supposedly deceased twin brother.

As she grew older, how would she ever develop the same well-defined muscles? The next moment, she debated whether she should move the Grand Tutor’s arm and get up first.

She had no idea if he was a light sleeper or if he was prone to morning temper tantrums.

Just as she hesitated, the Grand Tutor slowly opened his eyes.

Wei Lenghou had always been a light sleeper, but for once, he had actually managed a deep and restful sleep.

The moment the little emperor in his arms tensed up, he woke as well.

With a powerful minister and a weak ruler, it was already a mercy that he hadn’t kicked the boy off the bed.

Allowing the emperor to share his bed—what a tale of a virtuous minister indeed.

But what would the young emperor’s reaction be? Unexpectedly, the child lay awake for quite some time yet did not move an inch.

Half-opening his eyes, Wei Lenghou found the young emperor staring wide-eyed, his gaze sneakily trailing down his open collar.

Wei Lenghou chuckled inwardly—how could he have forgotten that this little emperor was a cripple?

At fifteen, if he were a proper imperial prince, palace maids would have already been arranged to enlighten him on the ways of adulthood.

But no matter how much was tried, this little prince was… incapable.

The news had spread throughout the entire palace overnight, utterly shaming the royal Nie family.

Now, the way this child was staring—was he envious of what a real man looked like?

A mischievous thought arose in Wei Lenghou’s mind.

He suddenly leaned close to the emperor’s delicate ear and murmured, “Does Your Majesty wish for me to untie my robe and let you have a good look?”

“Ah?”

Nie Qinglin was caught completely off guard, her mouth slightly open as she stared at the Grand Tutor in a daze.

Only then did she notice the teasing glint in his eyes.

After a brief moment of embarrassment, she quickly composed herself and flattered him with admiration, “The Grand Tutor has an extraordinary physique, truly a man among men! No wonder you are a pillar of the nation. If only I could grow up to be as strong as you.”

The brief moment of lightheartedness between ruler and minister instantly dissipated with just a few words.

As Wei Lenghou got up, his gaze turned cold.

This little emperor, though obedient, had no real connection to the idea of “growing up.”

When the time came for the empire to mature, this child would be nothing more than the final sacrifice honoring his great achievements.

After tidying his robes, the Grand Tutor left the palace.

Nie Qinglin steadied herself, feeling quite satisfied—another day’s duty fulfilled, and she could finally return to her sleeping quarters.

The air after the snowfall was fresh, though the night was somewhat heavy and dark.

Nie Qinglin thought it would be good to take a stroll to invigorate her blood circulation.

She didn’t summon her carriage, instead walking slowly toward her quarters with a few eunuchs and guards following behind.

As she passed by the garden behind the Imperial Academy, a delicate fragrance suddenly wafted toward her.

Looking up—ah, what a sight beneath the moon!

A woman in a red dress stood bathed in moonlight, breathtakingly beautiful.

But when the beauty saw her, disappointment flickered across her face, though she hastily concealed it.

She had no choice but to perform a graceful bow and pay respects to the emperor.

This beauty was none other than Consort Yun of Chuyun Palace, the younger sister of Shang Ningxuan, the current Vice Minister of War.

Her given name was Shang Yunchu, and she was renowned as one of the most talented women among the noble ladies of the capital.

Back in the day, her poem  ‘A Lament at Dusk for the Falling Willows’ had spread throughout the city, with people scrambling to make copies, recreating the famed scarcity of paper in Luoyang.

According to more discreet rumors, before entering the palace, she had shared a pure and beautiful romance with the now-famous Grand Tutor—back when he was still an obscure figure.

Though they were well-matched in talent and beauty, fate played a cruel hand, and their love never culminated in marriage.

Later, when Wei Lenghou was sent to the frontier as a military inspector, Shang Yunchu entered the palace and became an imperial consort.

Their relationship simply faded into nothingness.

However, Nie Qinglin clearly remembered that on the day of the palace coup, when all the princes, consorts, concubines, and palace maids were gathered in the great hall, Consort Yun was the only one absent.

It seemed that the cold-faced Grand Tutor did, after all, know how to cherish beauty—at the very least, he had spared his former lover from the terror that had others so frightened they wet their robes.

Given the bitter cold of the night, Nie Qinglin could easily guess why Consort Yun was standing here.

The Grand Tutor usually took the shortcut through the rear garden when returning home.

But today, of all days, he had to head to the Imperial Cavalry Camp for inspection, leaving through the front gates—thus missing the beauty who had been waiting in vain.

Still, Consort Yun was being a little too indiscreet.

The late emperor’s body had barely turned cold, yet here she was, so eager to rekindle an old flame.

*Father, if you can see this from the underworld, do you feel the weight of the green hat pressing upon your head?*

Despite this thought, Nie Qinglin maintained a respectful demeanor and said politely, “Consort Yun, if you are taking a stroll at night, you should wear more layers. I shall take my leave now.”

With that, she hastily lifted the hem of her imperial robes and left this place of trouble.

Though she was merely the concubine of a deceased emperor, with the Grand Tutor’s favor and protection, she was likely the most powerful woman in the inner palace.

As for herself, a mere puppet emperor, she had to bow before countless “Buddhas” in this imperial court.

As for the Grand Tutor secretly bestowing a green hat upon the late emperor… it was best to feign innocence and remain blissfully ignorant!

But no matter how well she pretended, some obligations simply couldn’t be avoided—such as the daily morning court sessions, an unchanging ordeal.

However, Nie Qinglin had her own way of coping.

She would shrink her head into the thick collar of her dragon robe and sleep soundly, as if drifting across the five great lakes and four seas.

After seeing this repeated enough times, Grand Tutor Wei eventually lost his patience.

Not because he had the heart of a strict teacher who wanted to correct the young emperor’s idleness, but because the upcoming Lantern Festival was an important event in the Great Wei dynasty.

During this time, the families of the vassal princes would come to the capital to pay their respects, making it a rare gathering of the imperial clan.

If the puppet emperor he had carefully propped up still wore an ill-fitting dragon robe and kept retreating into his “turtle shell” at the banquet, it would truly be a disgrace to Wei Lenghou himself.

(T/N: I sometimes use he/his for Nie Qinglin because it’s from Wei Lenghou’s point of view, not due to a translation error.)

Thus, he ordered the negligent Inner Service Bureau to tailor new robes for the emperor.

After such a long time since her enthronement, she was finally getting a set of properly made imperial garments!

To Nie Qinglin, this was a rare occasion worth celebrating in her otherwise dull and suffocating life as a puppet ruler.

When the tailors from the Inner Service Bureau arrived to take measurements, An Qiao’er whispered in a low voice from the inner chamber, “Your Majesty, do you wish to put on ‘that’ before they start measuring?”

The “that” An Qiao’er referred to was an item that Imperial Consort Li had secretly acquired through special channels during her lifetime.

It was made from a special tree resin from the southern regions, colored to resemble human skin, soft to the touch.

A skilled craftsman had sculpted it meticulously, making it indistinguishable from a real ‘boy’s anatomy’. (T/N: boy’s anatomy= P*nis)

Back when the palace maids were sent to educate her ‘on certain matters’, Consort Li had fastened this item onto Nie Qinglin, then drugged the palace maid with a mind-altering potion to muddle through the situation.

Fortunately, once the rumors of her ‘infirmity’ spread, she was spared from further troubles of the sort.

But now that the tailors were coming to measure her, they would be working in close proximity.

If they noticed anything amiss about the contours beneath her robes, it would be a disaster.

After some thought, Nie Qinglin nodded in agreement.

However, when An Qiao’er opened the hidden box where the item was stored, she was momentarily stunned.

The craftsman who had made the prosthetic had warned that it needed to be kept moist with water.

In the past, An Qiao’er had been meticulous in its upkeep.

But with the recent turmoil of the palace coup, who had the time to worry about such things? Now, upon opening the box, she found that the item had already dried and hardened somewhat.

Meanwhile, the tailors were already waiting outside the hall.

After measuring the emperor, they would have to hurry to the study hall to take measurements for the Grand Tutor as well—time was running short.

Nie Qinglin saw that there was no other way and had to make do, urging An Qiao’er to hastily stuff the item into her trousers.

When the tailor entered, as expected, he requested the Emperor to remove the heavy outer garments, leaving only the inner tunic for measurement.

Nie Qinglin had been disguising herself as a boy since childhood and had long become indifferent to the separation of genders.

Besides, she was tightly bound with chest wraps, and the thick fabric of the winter tunic concealed everything well enough.

Thus, she let the tailor take her measurements with ease and composure.

However, just as the tailor finished measuring her sleeve length, Wei Lenghou strode into the hall, calling out to the tailor, “Come here, take my measurements first!”

With that, he shrugged off his robe and sat down nearby, waiting.

It turned out that he had just received a secret report—his spies in Anxi had finally sent back news, settling a matter that had weighed on his mind for a long time.

Feeling pleased, he had indulged in a few drinks during lunch.

During his meal, Consort Yun’s maid personally delivered a letter.

Grand Tutor Wei lazily skimmed through it, its contents nothing more than the usual lament—”The Old Man of the Moon is merciless, my regrets will last a lifetime, I only wish to see you once more”—or something of the sort.

This was not the first time Consort Yun had sent him such letters, though never before with wording so boldly explicit.

Wei Lenghou had always left her hanging.

Although Shang Yunchu was indeed a talented woman and had once truly captured his interest, she had made her choice back then—abandoning him to marry that foolish emperor.

He had always been a cold and indifferent person, and the faint affection he had once harbored had long withered away.

If not for the fact that Shang Yunchu’s brother, Shang Ningxuan, was a trusted minister of his, why would he even bother considering her dignity?

But the chance to turn the tables in front of a woman who had once forsaken him was undeniably satisfying.

A beauty famous throughout the capital, still in her prime, though no longer untouched—yet he had no intention of bringing her into his household.

At best, she was just an amusement to pass the time.

So, spurred by his mild intoxication, he made his way toward the harem.

As he passed by the Emperor’s sleeping quarters, Eunuch Ruan discreetly reminded him that, since he had been dining, the tailors from the Inner Service Bureau had not dared to disturb him and had proceeded to measure the young Emperor first.

Since he was now heading to see Consort Yun, should he have the tailor come to his residence in the evening instead?

Wei Lenghou waved the thought away—no need for such trouble! With a slight turn of his foot, he detoured into the Emperor’s sleeping chambers.

The tailors, being quick-witted, immediately abandoned the little emperor, who still had his arms outstretched, and rushed over to take measurements for the now half-undressed Grand Tutor.

Nie Qinglin could only withdraw her hands and sit slowly onto a chair, waiting.

She noticed that the Grand Tutor had a slight flush of intoxication, likely feeling warm from the alcohol, which explained why he had so nonchalantly stripped off his robe.

Previously, she had only glimpsed a faint outline through his collar, but now she could see everything clearly.

Dressed, the Grand Tutor had an ethereal, otherworldly air about him.

But once undressed—his physique was even sturdier than the elite imperial guards!

Such arms, when wielding a blade, must inflict unbearable pain on their victims.

She wondered, when the time came, whether he would grant her a cup of poison or simply end it with a swift strike of his sword?

She was lost in thought, staring absentmindedly at his chest, when suddenly she noticed his phoenix eyes narrowing slightly, gazing at her with an expression full of meaning.

Nie Qinglin followed the Grand Tutor’s gaze and looked down at her crotch…

That ‘thing’ seemed to have misbehaved.