Chapter 21: Personal inspection

Lin Xiaoque stood frozen in place.

For a moment, he wondered if he’d misheard.

But Xiao Juan’s gaze made it abundantly clear—

The emperor hadn’t lost his senses from drink.

This was exactly what he meant.

Lin Xiaoque had thought the Third Prince’s insults earlier that night were already the height of humiliation.

He hadn’t expected Xiao Juan to surpass even that.

His fingers tightened against the tiger pelt.

He felt as though he could barely breathe.

“Impossible.”

He gasped, desperate to escape.

“I’m not a beast.”

“I don’t know how to mate like animals in the wilderness.”

“Your Majesty…”

“I take my leave.”

“I can’t hold my liquor.”

“I… I must return.”

His limbs felt weak.

He struggled to push himself off the tiger pelt.

The smell of blood from the tiger hide was overpowering.

It filled his nose until all he could smell was iron and death.

Supporting himself with one hand against his throbbing head, he barely managed to stand.

He turned to flee.

Xiao Juan caught him.

“What are you running for?”

He was actually asking that?

If Lin Xiaoque hadn’t gone mad…

Then this emperor certainly had.

Grasping him firmly, Xiao Juan pulled him into his chest.

“Isn’t he beautiful?”

“You don’t want him?”

“What do you want instead?”

“Xie Zhichi?”

Lin Xiaoque pushed against him.

“I don’t want anyone.”

“I only want to go back to my courtyard…”

“And sleep.”

The more he struggled, the tighter Xiao Juan held him.

So tightly that Lin Xiaoque thought he might suffocate.

“Your Majesty…”

“I’m truly tired.”

“I want to go back.”

Xiao Juan stroked his hair.

“No.”

“What you want is Xie Zhichi.”

“Very well.”

“Sleep with him.”

“When the morning sun rises…”

“I’ll give Xie Zhichi to you.”

“Your Majesty!”

Lin Xiaoque exclaimed.

“My body is sick and broken.”

“I can’t have anyone.”

Closing his eyes, he deliberately degraded himself.

“I… am incapable.”

“I’m nothing but a cripple.”

“A useless man.”

“I’ve disappointed Your Majesty’s kindness.”

“I deserve punishment.”

Upon hearing that…

Xiao Juan actually intended to verify it on the spot.

How could Lin Xiaoque possibly allow the emperor to touch him?

He seized Xiao Juan’s wrist, nearly breaking down.

“Your Majesty…”

“Why must you keep forcing me?”

“I’m just a worthless person.”

“If my existence offends Your Majesty’s eyes…”

“I’ll request permission to leave the palace immediately.”

Xiao Juan gently touched his cheek.

“Who told you to lie to me?”

“Qie Yunu.”

“I’ll ask you one last time.”

“Are you truly incapable?”

“Think carefully before answering.”

“I only believe what I see.”

“Does Your Majesty intend to strip off my clothes?”

Lin Xiaoque struggled angrily.

Xiao Juan smiled.

“No.”

“That would only be the first step.”

Rage surged through Lin Xiaoque.

His eyes reddened.

He shut them tightly.

Tears rolled down one after another…

Wetening Xiao Juan’s fingertips.

The warmth of those tears seemed almost to burn his skin.

Xiao Juan couldn’t understand.

Why was Qie Yunu crying?

Could he truly…

Be incapable?

Had illness really weakened him to such an extent?

Ignoring every word, Xiao Juan pushed Lin Xiaoque back onto the tiger pelt.

He refused to trust mere explanations.

He insisted on seeing for himself.

Outside…

Fireworks blossomed across the night sky.

Brilliant bursts of color bloomed and faded.

When the dazzling display finally ended…

Lin Xiaoque had already fainted.

Looking at his soiled hand, Xiao Juan cursed softly.

“You little liar.”

When the morning sun rose the next day…

Lin Xiaoque was already awake.

Yet his mind remained hazy.

The fright.

The humiliation.

He almost wondered whether everything that had happened last night had been nothing more than a nightmare.

But as he replayed it in his mind…

Not a single detail felt unreal.

He closed his eyes.

No matter how Shanxiu tried to persuade him…

He refused both medicine and food.

Shanxiu finally became so anxious that he blurted out without thinking,

“If Master won’t eat…”

“Then that ge’er you brought back won’t be getting any food either.”

Hearing those words, the gloom clouding Lin Xiaoque’s mind deepened.

He accepted the medicine bowl from Shanxiu.

The next instant…

He released it.

The bowl crashed onto the floor.

Porcelain shattered everywhere.

Medicine splashed across the room, soaking Shanxiu’s clothes.

Shanxiu stared at his master in disbelief.

This was the first time…

Lin Xiaoque had ever lost his temper with him.

Lin Xiaoque turned his face away.

Without another glance.

Shanxiu silently knelt.

The broken porcelain cut into his knees.

Blood slowly seeped out.

“I know I was wrong…”

he whispered.

“Leave.”

Lin Xiaoque’s voice was calm.

“Master…”

Lying back on the bed, Lin Xiaoque covered his eyes.

“I don’t want to repeat myself.”

Shanxiu remained silent.

He slowly stood.

Blood had already stained the knees of his trousers red.

He carefully cleaned every shard and every drop of medicine from the floor.

Only then did he limp out of the room.

By evening, Lin Xiaoque suddenly remembered Zhuifeng.

He wondered how the horse was doing.

After straightening his clothes, he went alone to Marquis Wei’s residence.

The servants informed him that Marquis Qin Min had been summoned away unexpectedly the previous day and still had not returned.

Unable to reach Lin Xiaoque in time, Qin Min had later been blamed by Xiao Juan for bringing Lin Xiaoque into the hunting grounds.

The emperor had immediately dispatched him to a neighboring city on official business.

He wasn’t allowed to delay even for a moment.

Unable to stay behind and watch over Zhuifeng, Qin Min had obeyed the imperial command and departed.

The servants welcomed Lin Xiaoque inside.

Fortunately…

Zhuifeng’s life was no longer in danger.

He simply needed time to recover.

Lin Xiaoque picked up fresh fodder himself and fed the horse.

Proud as ever, Zhuifeng accepted every bite.

Treading Snow was standing nearby, keeping Zhuifeng company.

When it saw Lin Xiaoque, it walked over and affectionately rubbed against him.

Smiling faintly, Lin Xiaoque stroked Treading Snow’s neck before climbing onto its back.

Treading Snow carried him leisurely out of Marquis Wei’s residence.

Neither rider nor horse had any destination.

The autumn wind blew through the trees.

It lifted Lin Xiaoque’s hair.

After spring and summer had passed, the old trees had begun shedding their yellow leaves.

The wind gathered them into gentle spirals before letting them drift to the earth.

Dead branches and fallen leaves crunched beneath the horse’s hooves.

A wineskin still hung from the saddle.

Lin Xiaoque removed it and drank slowly.

It was still fiery.

Still burned his throat.

But once the initial sting faded…

A pleasant intoxication followed.

He had no idea where Treading Snow had carried him.

The surroundings were quiet.

Peaceful.

Almost deserted.

He climbed down from the horse.

Holding the wineskin, he walked alongside it, drinking as they wandered.

Whenever Treading Snow stopped to graze…

He simply lay down nearby, unconcerned whether his clothes became dirty.

When the horse continued…

He followed.

When he grew too tired to walk…

He climbed back onto its back.

By nightfall…

Treading Snow finally turned toward home.

Lin Xiaoque was thoroughly drunk.

Lying face-down across the horse’s back, half-conscious, he drifted into a deep dream.

When Treading Snow reached Marquis Wei’s residence…

Qin Min had already returned.

A task that normally required several days had been completed in only one.

Racing back to Luobei without pause, he had only just dismounted, still covered in dust from the road.

Worried about Lin Xiaoque, he hadn’t even taken time to wash before heading straight to see him.

He had barely stepped into the courtyard…

When Treading Snow carried Lin Xiaoque back.

Qin Min lifted him carefully down from the horse.

“You’re drunk.”

Lin Xiaoque’s cheeks were faintly flushed.

He smiled lazily.

“Yes.”

“I’m drunk.”

“I’m so hungry, Qin Min…”

Recognizing him at last, he murmured,

“I’m so hungry.”

Qin Min immediately ordered the servants to prepare dinner.

And sobering soup.

Only some pastries were ready at hand.

He carefully washed his hands first.

Then personally fed Lin Xiaoque a few pastries to settle his empty stomach.

The soft sweetness eased the painful cramps in his stomach.

Resting in Qin Min’s arms, Lin Xiaoque smiled.

“So sweet…”

“So sweet, Qin Min.”

“The pastries here are so sweet.”

“Your wine is good wine…”

“And your pastries are good pastries.”

“Qin Min…”

“Are you…”

“A good person?”

Qin Min handed him a little water so the pastries wouldn’t catch in his throat.

Then he answered,

“To the barbarian tribes…”

“I am undoubtedly an unforgivable villain.”

“But, Heir…”

“To you…”

“I will be a good person.”

“Yesterday…”

“I shouldn’t have left you there alone.”

“The truth is…”

“I didn’t care whether that servant lived or died.”

“I only agreed to save him because you cared.”

“But I forgot…”

“Danger can arrive in an instant.”

“I should have thrown that servant onto the horse…”

“And brought you away immediately.”

“Even if that left him crippled.”

“Even if you blamed me for it.”

Qin Min wanted to be Lin Xiaoque’s good person—

Not a good person to everyone.