Standing nearby, Chang Jiangming could not help letting out a soft snort of laughter.
The smile on Song Pu’s face froze at once.
Why is this damned emperor so obsessed with making him lose face? Aaaaah?!
Inwardly, he had already run through a hundred and eighty ways to cook the dog emperor, yet outwardly he still had to remain respectful. “Your Majesty is so considerate and perceptive, even aware of this minister’s stature. I am truly at a loss for words with gratitude.”
Tantai Yi smiled faintly. “Lord Song need not be moved. Finishing ‘Battle Through the Heavens’ today would be the greatest comfort to me.”
Song Pu said with difficulty, “Finishing it today may be somewhat… challenging.”
“There is still a month. You will manage it eventually.”
As he spoke, he patted the seat beside him and said gently, “Lord Song, come sit. The weather is fine today, and I am in an excellent mood. With Lord Song’s story for company, I shall be quite at ease.”
Song Pu’s good mood had already been largely ruined by him, yet he still had to appear relaxed and cheerful as he sat down beside Tantai Yi.
A cup of clear tea had already been placed within easy reach, so that he might drink at any time.
No one else received such treatment. Chang Jiangming and the others, though sons of high officials, could only stand alongside Cao Xi and the attendants. Yet they were used to it. Song Pu’s silver tongue kept the emperor’s attention firmly fixed on him, which lightened their own burden considerably, so none of them felt the slightest resentment over the disparity.
Song Pu had always thought Tantai Yi carried the air of a rebellious older youth, but now he increasingly gave off the impression of a dramatic, self-absorbed adolescent. The way he immersed himself so earnestly in ‘Battle Through the Heavens’ was much the same as Song Pu himself had done back in school.
The trouble was that the story was far too long. He had been narrating it for half a month and was still only midway through. Desperate to be done with it, he had tried to bluff that it was nearly finished, but Tantai Yi was far too sharp.
“I feel there is still much to be told,” he had said mildly. “I wonder how Lord Song intends to ‘finish it quickly’.”
That single sentence completely shut down Song Pu’s plan to quietly skip the latter half and wrap things up.
By the end of the morning, his voice was hoarse.
Tantai Yi was not so unreasonable as to force him to continue in that state. He instructed Cao Xi to bring over a sweet soup prepared in advance to soothe his throat. “Lord Song has exerted himself so diligently. I cannot be stingy.”
Reaching into his sleeve, he fumbled for a moment, then withdrew his hand and held it out in a fist before Song Pu, smiling. “Guess what is inside. If you are correct, I shall give it to you.”
Song Pu licked his lips, still damp from the tea, his gaze falling upon that outstretched fist as his thoughts drifted.
Tantai Yi was not robust in build, nor was he broad anywhere. His fingers were long, slender, and pale, with distinct joints. The faint blue veins beneath the skin did nothing to mar their clarity. In the sunlight, his clenched hand resembled a piece of flawless, lustrous jade.
Yet it was no fragile ornament. The tension in the bones beneath the skin spoke of strength.
He was, in truth, perfectly formed, without flaw or blemish. If one had to name a defect, it would be that utterly unmatched ‘sword’ of his. Such an outrageous thing had no business being attached to so refined a figure.
And yet, dressed, he appeared lean; undressed, well-built; and he was tall besides. It was not wholly incongruous. Still, having seen both states, Song Pu found it difficult to reconcile the two.
…Wait. Why does he keep thinking about that thing?
He hastily dragged his thoughts back and looked again at Tantai Yi.
A faint smile rested on Tantai Yi’s lips, touched with restraint. “I had thought there might be some tacit understanding between us. I did not expect Lord Song to take so long.”
Afraid he might withdraw the offer, Song Pu hurriedly said, “Let this minister think… could it be the sapphire Your Majesty showed me before?”
The curve of Tantai Yi’s lips deepened. “You have guessed correctly.”
He turned his hand and opened his fist. Resting in his palm was indeed a brilliantly gleaming sapphire.
The sunlight fell just right, refracting through the gem and casting out a clear, radiant brilliance that spoke of its extraordinary worth.
Song Pu nearly stopped breathing.
It was not that he loved glittering objects for their own sake. What he valued was what lay behind them. Even if everything else were lost, this single gem would fetch enough at a pawnshop to sustain him for the rest of his life.
Taking the thought further, if he ever returned to the modern world, he could take it with him. Why inherit that wretched cake shop? Selling this would let him buy several buildings and live comfortably off rent.
Now that would be a proper life.
His eyes reddened slightly. “Your Majesty’s favour towards this minister is truly boundless. I am ashamed to accept it. Yet how could I dare refuse Your Majesty’s kindness?”
He reached out, placing his hand atop Tantai Yi’s palm, a smile spreading across his face, the tips of his small canine teeth just visible. “Having accepted this token of Your Majesty’s grace, I shall serve with even greater devotion henceforth.”
Tantai Yi, however, closed his hand again, trapping Song Pu’s fingers within his grasp. “Lord Song’s words suggest that if I did not grant you this gem, you would not serve me wholeheartedly.”
Song Pu: “…”
My good emperor, you truly are dense as iron.
Forcing a sincere smile, he said, “Your Majesty jests. If this minister was already devoted beyond hesitation before, then after receiving such repeated favour, I only regret lacking three heads and six arms, that I might serve Your Majesty in every possible way. Moreover, I even hope there may be a next life, and the next, and the next, so that I may pray to the Buddha that in every lifetime, I may remain by Your Majesty’s side.”
Tantai Yi raised a finger to his lips with a soft “hush”, smiling faintly. “Take care with your words. There are gods above us. Should the Buddha hear you, your soul may well be bound to my side for eternity.”
Though he spoke lightly, his golden eyes fixed upon Song Pu like a predator studying its prey.
Song Pu, however, remained utterly unshaken. He believed in no such things.
Outwardly, he showed no hesitation. “Every word this minister speaks comes from the heart, without falsehood. If there are indeed endless lifetimes, I would not regret such a vow. I would only hope the Buddha might hear and grant that I remain by Your Majesty’s side. Even if not as a man, I would gladly be but grass or flowers beside you, so long as I might bring Your Majesty even a trace of delight.”
A flicker of emotion crossed Tantai Yi’s face. His throat moved before he spoke. “The gods and Buddhas have heard Lord Song’s heart. If reincarnation exists, then let Lord Song remain by my side.”
His expression softened. “But Lord Song is so pleasing. In this life and the next, you must remain human, that I may continue to enjoy that clever tongue of yours.”
Song Pu’s fingers were still held within his palm. He moved them slightly, testing, and said carefully, “Your Majesty need not worry. Even if I were but grass in the next life, touched by Your Majesty’s grace, I would surely become human again. In that sense, Your Majesty would be my saviour.”
Tantai Yi felt those soft fingers brush lightly against his palm, like a feather grazing the skin, stirring a faint, tingling warmth.
Almost without thinking, he tightened his grip.
Song Pu’s fingers ached at once, and a soft cry slipped from his throat.
The sound was unexpectedly delicate, tinged with something faintly suggestive. The moment it escaped him, his face flushed, and he lowered his gaze, not daring to meet anyone’s eyes. “Your Majesty is most formidable. This minister’s fingers are near crushed. I beg Your Majesty to show mercy.”
Tantai Yi narrowed his eyes slightly, then released him with a faint smile. “Take the gem. I was merely teasing.”
Song Pu glanced at him cautiously, then lowered his gaze to the gem in his palm, reaching out to take it.
The cool, weighty feel made him swallow. “Your Majesty truly grants this to me?”
“My word is law. When have I ever jested with Lord Song?”
At last, Song Pu smiled in earnest. “Many thanks, Your Majesty. I shall carry it always and treasure it as I would Your Majesty.”
The delight radiating from him was unmistakable.
Seeing this, Tantai Yi could not help but feel pleased. Yet he also found himself thinking that if he gave him the larger sapphire, Song Pu would be even happier.
The thought made him frown slightly.
That one, however, he had no intention of giving away.
Author’s note:
Later on:
Ah-Gou: My private treasury is all Ah-Pu’s.
Ah-Pu: Hide money again and I’ll have you kneel on durians.
