HMAM CH 49 Admitting His Love
When Jing Ye woke up in the morning, there was already no warmth left by his pillow. Lin Xiaosheng must have gotten up a long time ago.
Ye Mao was helping him change clothes while saying, "The Gongzi has already gone to the government office."
Jing Ye responded with a "hmm," and after the maidservants tidied up, he walked through the intricately carved green silk panels and sat down for breakfast.
As Ye Mao arranged the dishes for him, they had eaten about halfway when Yang Ziran requested an audience.
Ye Mao suggested, "Should we ask General Yang to wait a little longer?"
"No need," Jing Ye set down his chopsticks and said, "Zhen woke a bit late today; just tell him to wait in the study. Zhen will come right away."
"Yes," Ye Mao replied.
Jing Ye emerged from behind the screen and took a seat at the desk. Yang Ziran knelt on one knee and bowed, saying, "Paying respects to Your Majesty."
"Rise. What is the matter?"
Yang Ziran stood up and said, "The rebel thief Xu Ming has been captured, and the battle is settled. This subject asks Your Majesty to choose a day to return to the court."
Jing Ye thought for a moment and replied, "This matter is not urgent; let’s rest for another month. This will also allow the soldiers to recuperate. The journey is long and rushing to set off might only lead to more injuries."
Yang Ziran bowed and said, "Your Majesty has thought it through; this subject understands."
Jing Ye sat behind the table, noticing that Yang Ziran still did not take his leave, saying, "If you have something to say, just speak. There’s no need for hesitation."
"Your Majesty..." Yang Ziran clasped his hands, "This subject would also like to see Lord Feng; this subject has heard he has been seriously injured."
Jing Ye nodded and said, "You have a close friendship with him; you should go visit him." Suddenly remembering something, he coldly snorted, "It’s quite a shame he has to recuperate here with zhen."
Noticing the tone of the emperor, Yang Ziran didn’t dare to respond further. The maidservants came to lead him inside. Upon entering the inner chamber, they saw Feng Ling reclining at the head of the bed, draped in a cloak and reading a book, though he seemed distracted and hadn’t turned a page for a long time.
The maidservant said, "Lord Feng, General Yang has come to visit you."
Feng Ling suddenly came to his senses and saw his friend winking at him from behind the maidservant, exclaiming in surprise, "You’re here."
Yang Ziran walked to the bedside, glancing awkwardly at the several maidservants nearby. The maidservants understood and all bowed slightly, chuckling as they exited the room.
Once the maidservants closed the green silk doors leading to the outer chamber and shut the door behind them, Yang Ziran pulled over a round stool and sat down, sizing up Feng Ling. He sighed and laughed, "Ai, I don’t know what great merit you have achieved to earn such favor from His Majesty."
Feng Ling closed the book and said, "Do you find anything other than mockery amusing?"
Yang Ziran chuckled, "I specifically came to tease you." He then frowned in thought, saying, "Now that you are residing in this courtyard... From an outsider's perspective, you are already His Majesty's person."
"These empty titles do not come with one to the grave," Feng Ling said with a slight smile. "Moreover, since I diligently studied the classics and became a court official, this body now rightfully belongs to His Majesty."
His tone seemed different from usual, carrying a bit of detachment and some resolution. When he spoke the last sentence, his voice softened and deepened, unlike that of a minister addressing a sovereign.
It resembled something like... Yang Ziran felt an inexplicable sensation bubble within him, a feeling akin to the sweet nothings shared between lovers.
"Qing Sheng, is there something else..." Yang Ziran furrowed his brow, sensing that such a tone and demeanor was certainly not appropriate for someone who had just escaped imprisonment.
Feng Ling calmly said, "I have feelings for His Majesty."
"!!"
Yang Ziran nearly fell off his low stool, forcing a laugh as he said, "Your ability to scare people has become increasingly masterful."
Feng Ling pursed his lips and replied, "Do you think I am joking with you? Zi Ran, you and I are close friends; I will not deceive you. I will soon write a letter to rescind the engagement; I will not delay Yu Ying's happiness."
Yang Ziran was left speechless for quite a while, unsure of how to respond. Finally, he stood up and said, "You should focus on recovering; this matter isn't urgent. After all, the marriage contract hasn't been formally negotiated yet, and there’s plenty of time..." He paused before unable to hold back adding, "You should seriously consider this during your recovery."
Feng Ling nodded, watching him leave.
As Yang Ziran’s footsteps faded, the room was left empty.
"Consider?" He forced a bitter smile and said, "What I fear is that time may be running out."
Yang Ziran arrived at the study door, where Ye Mao bowed and said, "General, His Majesty is inside."
Yang Ziran nodded, and as Ye Mao opened the door, he entered and bowed, "Paying respects to Your Majesty."
Jing Ye was pacing in front of the screen and raised his hand upon hearing, "Rise."
Yang Ziran straightened up but cast a brief glance at the emperor's dragon robe as it swayed with movement, feeling a twinge of regret as he thought about Feng Ling's ambiguous words.
How could the resplendent sovereign seated on the dragon throne hardly be the subject of a minister's lighthearted affection?
Jing Ye said, "Zhen remembered there were some things zhen wanted to ask you. Before we set out, zhen heard about your sister's marriage to the Feng family."
Yang Ziran hurriedly replied, "It's just a matter of the elders' inclinations; nothing has been concluded yet."
"The parents' commands and matchmakers' words," Jing Ye said. "If the marriage is to be finalized, why did Feng Ling come along with the army to Qingzhou?"
"Well..." Yang Ziran didn’t dare speak the truth and could only stammer, "This subject doesn’t know."
Jing Ye frowned. Yang Ziran didn’t know what he was thinking himself; he slightly raised his head and glanced at the young emperor.
The emperor was dressed in formal attire, the dark robe trimmed with gold thread, appearing solemn and dignified. Yet, his features were handsome but too soft, with a tall stature that leaned a bit towards being too slim.
While Yang Ziran lamented the difficult love life of his good friend, he couldn’t help but consider that, though the emperor held power far and wide, if Feng Ling truly became a consort... this could lead to complications in regards to positioning... cough, cough, forgive me for such thoughts.
After discussions among the logistics officers and generals, it was proposed that the army rest for a month before returning to court, and Jing Ye approved.
"At this rate, by the time we return to the capital, it will already be spring," Jing Ye said, holding the document while glancing out the window. Things had been busy over the past few days, and he was slowly winding down. The war had settled, and the heavy burden had lifted, allowing him to relax considerably.
Ye Mao served him more tea while saying, "Fortunately, Lord Feng's injury is healing quickly. Although the journey is long, it shouldn't be too troubling."
Jing Ye responded, "En."
As their conversation continued, a maid outside said, "City Lord Le, His Majesty is napping inside."
Then came Le Zhenghuan’s voice: "What does it matter?" His tone was lighthearted, "I’ll just sit at the bedside and watch him sleep."
The maidservants laughed, saying, "City Lord, don’t say that. Last time you said the same thing, and as a result, His Majesty couldn't sleep well all afternoon and had no energy to review the memorials, and you nearly got us all scolded by Ye Gonggong."
Le Zhenghuan ignored them, passing through the screen. He saw the emperor leaning against the desk reading, then walked over and hugged him, saying, "Ah, it's so warm."
Jing Ye grasped his hand. In truth, how could a young martial artist be afraid of the cold? It was actually him who suffered from insufficient vital energy, always having cold hands and feet.
Le Zhenghuan rubbed his nose against Jing Ye's neck and sighed comfortably, "What’s the point of sitting here? Let’s lie down on the bed and talk."
Jing Ye understood his intention and said, "Zhen wants to quietly read for a while; if you wish to talk, zhen will have Ye Mao accompany you."
Ye Mao was startled and exclaimed, "This servant must serve Your Majesty..."
Le Zhenghuan huffed, "I heard that person is still indoors recuperating and has nearly been here for half a month."
Jing Ye replied, "In a while, we will be setting off; moving around too much would rather delay the healing process. Why make things more complicated?"
"More complicated?" Le Zhenghuan raised an eyebrow, leaning closer, their breaths mingling, "I think it’s more about you being concerned. After all, that person is your heart’s delight..." His tone had a hint of playful jealousy.
Jing Ye realized that while Le Zhenghuan was here, he wouldn’t be able to concentrate on reading, so he helplessly put the book down and said, "Where did you learn these words? You sound just like a jealous woman."
"Why would I need to learn? I’ve always been this way." Le Zhenghuan moved even closer, his lips brushing against Jing Ye's mouth, softly teasing as he whispered, "Don't let Lin Xiaosheng come today; I want to sleep with you."
"You..." Jing Ye pinched the young man's cheek and was about to respond when he heard a fluttering at the window. A white pigeon had landed, tilting its head to observe the two.
Jing Ye stood up to get some rice to feed it. Le Zhenghuan was left grasping at thin air, rubbing his nose as he met the white pigeon's gaze: “Tsk, palace folk can't fight, but training doves is quite a talent. I wonder how they would taste if roasted.”
The white pigeon shook its wings, watching the proud and fierce young man with an air of wariness.
Jing Ye took down the paper scroll attached to the pigeon’s leg, which was covered in ink marks.
The first half contained Gu Hong’s written words discussing important matters from the court, along with reminders for Jing Ye to take his medicine and take care of his health. The latter half was just idle chatter from Villa Master Lu, mentioning how Jing Xiao Yun had been snacking every day and had gained more than a little weight, and Zhao Yue could now walk, following Jing Yun everywhere, perhaps to the point of falling in love with his big brother...
A pigeon trained for delivering messages across distances had carried this long-winded piece of drivel.
Jing Ye knew it was absurd, yet he couldn't help but smile.
Le Zhenghuan leaned in and glanced at the letter, saying, "When we reach the capital, just wait and see if I don’t give him something to remember."
Jing Ye was aware that he still held a grudge from their encounter outside Pingyue City and laughed, "That was so long ago, why are you still holding onto it?"
Le Zhenghuan suddenly pushed his beloved onto the couch, biting down lightly on his Adam's apple, "I would remember it even after a hundred years."