Chapter 58

On the twelfth of the sixth month, Rong Tang’s bones began to ache.

He struggled for a while, but not only was he unable to get out of bed, he also broke into a cold sweat. His face turned pale, and his lips began to crack.

Rong Tang opened his eyes and stared at the carved patterns on the bed board, sighed softly, endured the pain, and asked the system, “Why didn’t it hurt so much in the past two lives?”

The system was spinning around in a panic, sometimes flashing above his head and other times burying itself in his quilt. But the characters on the virtual map were all pixels. It could see Rong Tang’s pain, but it couldn’t hold him. It whizzed around like a headless fly for a long time before finally stopping next to Rong Tang’s cheek.

It would only be gentle during such times, and it would even consciously lower its voice, as if it were afraid of disturbing its host. [Because you have never personally come here before.]

It was raining buckets in Jiangnan, but the sun shone brightly in the capital.

Dayu had a vast territory and always had different regional climates. Moreover, during the days of heavy rains in Jiangnan, Yu capital was so blisteringly hot that after Lu Junxian’s concealment of the disaster was discovered, officials who held office without any contribution made grandiose speeches in the court, saying that there was no way the disaster could be that serious and that it must be the local officials in Jiangnan who exaggerated the number of victims to embezzle relief funds.

The number of people affected by the disaster was indeed underreported, from millions to hundreds of thousands. The number of those who died due to the floods was also reported as less than half of the actual number.

Rong Tang closed his eyes and allowed himself to adapt to the pain. After a long time, when the sky outside grew brighter and the sound of birds was fainter than usual, he finally got out of bed.

[Host, don’t go out baa.] the system advised.

Rong Tang shook his head. “It would cause trouble.”

These days, Su Huaijing has been discussing matters with Sheng Chengming and the other officials. The lights in the study burned all night until dawn. In Suzhou city, the sounds of boat songs still echoed, and people were living in peace. Yet they spent whole nights in sleepless vigilance in deserted places.

If it weren’t for his body being unable to bear it, Rong Tang would have wanted to be with them. Naturally, he could not disappear for a whole day during this period, which would cause Su Huaijing to worry.

He got up, washed, and Shuang Fu brought him his medicine. After Rong Tang drank the medicine, he stood beneath the eaves and watched the misty sky, his focus on the birds that kept flying out of the garden.

A breeze blew past, carrying a hint of moisture, and the flight of the sky spirits was all foretold.

He put down the medicine bowl and leaned against the railing. Footsteps sounded from behind him. Rong Tang didn’t even look back and said softly, “The birds have flown away.”

Su Huaijing held a robe in his hand and draped it over him. “In the face of natural disasters, birds and beasts are often more sensitive than humans.”

Rong Tang looked at the sky, remaining silent for a long time, then asked, “Is it getting better?”

Su Huaijing whispered, “Some dams have been in disrepair for years, and there wasn’t enough time to maintain them. The evacuation order was issued, and those who could be evacuated were escorted away by the troops. As for those who didn’t believe and were unwilling to evacuate, soldiers have been assigned to guard their villages and will act accordingly when the time comes.”

Rong Tang was in severe pain, and it took a lot of effort to speak. After a prolonged silence, Su Huaijing took a step closer and held his hand. “Tangtang, casualties and losses are normal. Don’t be upset.”

Rong Tang nodded and said softly, “I know.”

Naturally, he knew how deadly natural disasters were in ancient times. Even in the world he lived in before, countless people died every year due to natural disasters. He just looked at the grey sky, clearly aware of the pain radiating from his bones, and wondered inexplicably: If this extremely frail body is considered punishment, what kind would it be?

Is Heavenly Law blaming him for choosing a path he shouldn’t have taken, or is it because he was being blamed for his indifference in his previous two lives?

Rong Tang couldn’t figure it out, so he simply stopped thinking about it. He turned around and looked at Su Huaijing.

The handsome young man’s features were becoming more distinct day by day, and now there was a faint layer of shadows under his eyes. The tyrant, who was destined to let war sweep across Dayu after ascending the throne, was now racing against time to combat a natural disaster that had not yet arrived.

Rong Tang smiled and reached out to touch the corners of his mouth. “Huaijing, you’ve grown a beard.”

Sensing the touch of his fingers on the tiny bristles, Su Huaijing obediently lowered his head to let him stroke them, then blinked and asked, “Tangtang, help me shave?”

Rong Tang was stunned for a moment, then smiled and responded, “Okay.”

The wind picked up outside the courtyard, birds were flying north, and insects were burrowing into the ground.

–

On the thirteenth of the sixth month, at three quarters into the Chou period*, the wind began to bluster in Suzhou city.

(*TN: 2:30 a.m.)

Rong Tang was woken by the pain and chill piercing his bones. He lay on the bed with his eyes closed, trying to ease the pain.

The door was lightly knocked twice. Su Huaijing stood outside and called, “Tangtang?”

Rong Tang didn’t respond. Just as Su Huaijing was about to open the door to enter, there was a burst of running sounds from the corridor. Someone was running against the wind and said in a low voice, “Young Master, His Highness invites you to discuss matters.”

Su Huaijing paused for a moment, seeming hesitant, but ultimately withdrew his hand from the door frame and said softly, “Find someone to stand guard here. If the prince wakes up in the middle of the night, go to the study and find me.”

“Yes.”

The footsteps gradually faded away, and soon two men dressed as guards came to stand at the door. Rong Tang listened dazedly to the conversation in the room, then rolled over, hugged his arms, and curled up.

The system was extremely anxious and called out in a low voice: [Tangtang……]

Rong Tang struggled to pull the corners of his lips: “It’s fine; just bear with it for a while, and it will pass.”

This body would suffer pain due to changes in weather. Rong Tang had long been used to it after two lifetimes. He just didn’t expect it to hurt this much this time.

He thought, in amusement, that if he got up now, he would probably tumble down due to his weak feet and legs.

He told the system that he would bear with it for a while, and it would pass. He still had his indifferent appearance when meeting Su Huaijing. He drank the medicine brought by Shuang Fu three times a day without changing his expression, but curled up in pain every night while the wind and rain sounded, letting his clothes get soaked with sweat.

Sometimes the pain was so severe that Rong Tang would develop hallucinations, as if he could hear the cries of the victims in Suzhou and the sound of their footsteps as they ran to escape in the rain.

He endured for eight days, and finally, in the early morning of the twentieth of the sixth month, he heard the long-absent bird call from outside the house.

Rong Tang lightly exhaled, got up, put on his clothes, and went out. The sun, which had been missing for days, seemed to finally dissipate a little of the cloudiness out of pity.

The candles in the study were replaced one after another. Various drawings and open books were scattered on the floor. Several more desks had been added to the room. At this time, someone was sprawled on the desk, sleeping, and someone with dark shadows under their eyes was fighting off lethargy while reading the letters sent from various states.

Rong Tang walked quietly to the innermost, where Su Huaijing lay on the table, his head resting on his arms. Under his arm was a copy of the “Commentary on the Water Classic” and records of the Jiangnan Flood Survey in the second year of Qingzheng, within easy reach, along with a brush placed horizontally on the inkstone.

The stubble that had been shaved a few days ago has sprouted a little more. When his beautiful phoenix eyes were closed, only a layer of traces was visible under his eyes, so thick that it could hardly be eliminated.

Rong Tang stood beside him, staring quietly for a long time, silently thinking in his heart: Thank you for your hard work.

Shuang Fu had prepared a blanket in advance, so Rong Tang bent down to cover him. But Su Huaijing’s eyelashes trembled, and he slowly opened his eyes. His usually clear phoenix eyes were now bloodshot.

He frowned and was about to stand up. When he saw who was in front of him, he froze for a moment. Almost instinctively, he grabbed Rong Tang’s hand and blinked again, looking very confused.

Rong Tang felt both distressed and uncontrollably charmed by his cute expression. He bent down and asked softly, “Follow me back to go to sleep?”

Su Huaijing blinked vacantly, and it took him a while to realise what he was saying. He nodded twice while resting his head on the table before getting up to follow him out.

During the movement, his sleeve accidentally knocked the brush on the inkstone, causing a slight clatter. Rong Tang quickly caught the brush that was about to fall to the ground and placed it back on the brush holder. He glanced around to make sure no one had been awakened by the noise, breathed a sigh of relief, and led Su Huaijing towards the room.

He brought him to his own room, but Su Huaijing stood at the door and shook his head, refusing to go in.

Rong Tang was stunned for a moment, realising that this person still hadn’t fully woken up and was exuding a bewildered and adorable aura from the inside out.

He unconsciously lowered his voice, coaxing him like a child: “Then where do you want to go?”

Su Huaijing frowned and said hoarsely, “Sleep together.”

Rong Tang thought he meant his own room, so he took a few steps forward, guided him in, and helped Su Huaijing take off his outer robe. He watched as Su Huaijing obediently kicked off his shoes and got into bed, then tried to leave. Su Huaijing, however, suddenly reached out and grabbed him. His eyes were so heavy with sleep that he couldn’t keep them open. As soon as his head hit the pillow, his eyelids began to droop, but he stubbornly repeated, “Sleep together.”

Rong Tang didn’t move, so he muttered again: “I’m so tired, Tangtang. Sleep with me.”

Rong Tang was startled. The weak sunlight outside the house penetrated the clouds and shone onto the ground, and the air carried the scent of rain-soaked grass. As Su Huaijing pulled him, the fatigue from days of sleeplessness due to pain suddenly overwhelmed him. He was momentarily dazed, and when he came to his senses, he found that he had already subconsciously taken off his clothes and gotten into bed.

Su Huaijing stretched out his long arms and pulled him directly into his embrace. When one is extremely tired, they don’t even bother to maintain any pretence.

The moment Rong Tang was held in his arms, the pain that had been tormenting him for days seemed to fade away. He closed his eyes and finally fell into the most peaceful sleep he had in days.

When he woke up again, it was already dusk, and there was no one beside him. Rong Tang sat up in bed, feeling a bit lost, and took a moment to clear his mind.

The system was nowhere to be found and did not respond when he called. He entered the system space and casually looked around, noticing that amidst the division of black and grey, a strange colour had appeared at the edge, merging into the dark grey. He couldn’t discern what it was supposed to look like.

Rong Tang was bewildered and even more confused. He began to wonder about the true nature of the system.

But with the system absent, he couldn’t even pursue his speculations. After all, it couldn’t see these phenomena.

Rong Tang calmed himself, got out of bed, and went outside.

The heavy rain had passed, but there was still much to be done. The officials brought by Sheng Chengming had probably only managed a brief nap that morning. Rong Tang walked out of the courtyard, finding no one in sight.

He asked Shuang Fu where Huaijing had gone. Shuang Fu hesitated for a long time, not daring to speak, but his gaze kept darting towards the kitchen.

Rong Tang understood and immediately headed for the kitchen.

He originally thought Su Huaijing might be cooking, but as soon as he entered, he was hit by a medicinal stench so strong that he was almost choking. Rong Tang instinctively felt displeased and frowned, searching for Su Huaijing’s figure in the dim room.

Rong Tang’s attention was drawn by the flickering light of the fire. He looked up and saw a man sitting behind the medicine stove, his face obscured by the white smog continuously emitting from the crucible, making it impossible to read his emotions.

Rong Tang called out, “Huaijing?”

The man came back to his senses and looked up at him. Rong Tang felt relieved and was about to approach, but Su Huaijing said, “Don’t come over.”

His voice was slightly heavy, as if wrapped in the coldness of the twelfth lunar month.

Rong Tang was stunned and stood still, staring blankly at him through the smoke.

The fire from the medicine stove flickered, the crucible gurgled with bubbles, and amidst the strong aroma of herbs, Rong Tang seemed to hear Su Huaijing whisper regretfully, “I shouldn’t have let you come to Jiangnan.”