Song Pu knew well that Tantai Yi had a habit of appearing and disappearing without warning. Still, he did not believe he had done anything improper, so aside from the initial shock, his emotions quickly steadied.
“Your Majesty,” Song Pu greeted. As he was entirely naked, he could only sink his body further into the stream.
The others did the same, though they were far more tense and embarrassed than he was.
Tantai Yi said with a half-smile that was not quite a smile, “Minister Song truly broadens my horizons.”
Song Pu replied, “The stream within the estate is pleasantly cool. We had just worked up a sweat, so we thought to bathe here, lest we offend Your Majesty by presenting ourselves in such a state.”
Chang Jiangming and the others nodded in agreement. They had indeed broken into a sweat and carried the scent of grilled fish; returning directly would have been improper.
In truth, where and when one bathed was a matter of personal freedom. Even an emperor could hardly be overly harsh on such grounds. Thus, though they were nervous and embarrassed, none of them believed Tantai Yi would punish them for it.
But Tantai Yi was not so reasonable a man.
His gaze passed over Li Zongyi and the others, settling directly on Song Pu. At this moment, stripped of all clothing, Song Pu’s fair and slender body was fully revealed. The sunlight was just right, warm but not harsh, casting a soft glow across his skin, as though it were a piece of fine white jade, smooth and translucent.
Though half of him was submerged, what could such clear water truly conceal?
Tantai Yi’s eyesight was excellent. From where he stood, he could see Song Pu’s body beneath the water, let alone Chang Jiangming and the others, who were much closer.
An inexplicable irritation rose within him. He did not know the source of it, only that Song Pu’s conduct stirred his temper. His voice took on a mocking edge. “Absurd. Minister Song claims to fear offending me, yet treats my estate as though it were a public bath. Is that not an offence?”
Before Song Pu could respond, Li Zongyi and the others had already come ashore and knelt before him. “We know our fault!”
Song Pu had no choice but to follow, kneeling as well. “It was my presumption. I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness.”
“Forgiveness?” Tantai Yi said coldly. “Minister Song grows ever bolder. Do you think that because I favour you, I would not dare punish you?”
Song Pu’s voice tightened. “…I would never presume so. I am merely dull-witted and did not realise this would offend Your Majesty. I know my fault and beg Your Majesty’s leniency.”
In truth, he felt Tantai Yi’s anger had come from nowhere, and a trace of grievance stirred within him. It was only a bath. Could that truly have touched upon some taboo? At times, he simply could not understand what Tantai Yi was thinking.
Tantai Yi gave a cold laugh. “Minister Song may lack sense, but Li Zongyi, Xie Nuoyu, Chang Jiangming. Do you think I keep you merely for your good looks?”
Li Zongyi, ever straightforward, said stiffly, “I know my fault. I failed to set an example and did not dissuade them. I deserve punishment.”
Song Pu was about to speak, but Xie Nuoyu tugged at him from behind, stopping him. In that brief interruption, he lost the chance to say anything further.
“I will not punish Minister Song,” Tantai Yi continued, “but if no one is punished, you will not remember. Since Minister Li shows such awareness, I shall sentence him to thirty strokes as a warning. Let this not be repeated. Does Minister Li object?”
Li Zongyi relaxed somewhat. “I thank Your Majesty for your grace.”
Thirty strokes was not unusual for him. He had endured such punishment before; after these recent comfortable days, it was nothing unbearable.
He dressed and followed the guards to receive his punishment. The others, not having been dismissed, remained kneeling.
Tantai Yi cast a light glance at Song Pu. Seeing that his head was still lowered, he felt another flicker of irritation and said coldly, “Minister Song, will you not dress? Do you truly take my estate for a bathhouse, wishing to go naked at all times? If so, shall I punish you by forbidding you clothes altogether?”
Song Pu said, “I have been discourteous.”
He might be thick-skinned, but he was not without shame. What had seemed trivial before now felt humiliating under Tantai Yi’s stern reprimand. The lightness he had felt earlier vanished completely.
Once Song Pu had dressed, Tantai Yi added, “In future, you are not to bathe at will. Should there be a next time, I will not spare you.”
Song Pu kept his head lowered. “I will remember Your Majesty’s instruction. There will be no next time.”
Tantai Yi’s anger eased somewhat, but seeing Song Pu still bowing his head, hiding his expression, irritated him again. “Raise your head.”
Song Pu lifted his face and looked at him quietly.
Finding none of the usual lively warmth there, Tantai Yi narrowed his eyes slightly. He seemed about to say something, but after glancing at the others, held back. “…Reflect on your actions.”
With that, he turned and left with his hands behind his back.
Only after he had gone out of sight did Song Pu rise. He handed the clothes back to Chang Jiangming and the others, saying with some guilt, “I didn’t think it through. I dragged you all into this.”
Chang Jiangming’s eyes reddened. After looking around to make sure no one was nearby, he said hoarsely, “I thought His Majesty had changed. Turns out he’s just the same as before.”
Xie Nuoyu struck him lightly. “Watch your mouth. If His Majesty hears you, you’ll suffer for it.”
Chang Jiangming, whose tongue often led him into trouble, pressed his lips together and said no more.
Xie Nuoyu turned to Song Pu. “Don’t dwell on it. It was only a bath. Who would have thought His Majesty would mind so much? But when he is truly angry, it’s best not to speak. The more you say, the worse it becomes.”
The emperor was not often genuinely enraged. Though Xie Nuoyu was not as clever as Shen Yonghe, he was perceptive enough. With a bit of thought, he could read the emperor’s moods from his tone. In the past, even when punishments were dealt, the emperor had not been truly angered. This time, however, he clearly was.
Song Pu felt a weight settle in his chest.
They went to see Li Zongyi. By then, he had already taken more than a dozen strokes. The guards, being Tantai Yi’s personal guards, struck solidly, each blow landing true; even his white undergarments were stained with blood. Yet after thirty strokes, he could still stand.
Xie Nuoyu brought medicine, and Song Pu also produced some, all gifts from Tantai Yi, of excellent quality.
Li Zongyi thanked them one by one, smiling as he said, “The guards are on good terms with me. They know how to measure their strength. No bones or sinews are harmed. I’ll be fully recovered in three days. No need to worry too much.”
There was skill involved in such punishments. Thirty strokes could sometimes kill a man outright, or merely leave superficial injuries that healed in a few days. They were not servants, and the emperor’s intent was only to warn, so the guards naturally would not go too far. Yet they could not be too lenient either, so it was not as easy as Li Zongyi made it sound.
Song Pu understood this, and his guilt deepened further.
After supper, he bathed and lay down on his bed, only to get up again. He dragged several of his chests over and stacked them between his bed and Tantai Yi’s, replacing the wall that had once stood there.
When Tantai Yi returned, he saw the row of red-lacquered chests lined up between their beds. He paused briefly, then sat on his own bed as though nothing were amiss.
He too had bathed, his hair still damp and un-dried. “Minister Song, come and dry my hair.”
Song Pu climbed up. “Yes.”
He rose to dress himself. Seeing this, Tantai Yi frowned slightly. “What are you doing?”
“I am getting dressed.”
“I asked you to dry my hair. Why are you putting on clothes?”
“I fear offending Your Majesty. Naturally I must be properly attired before attending you.”
There was nothing wrong with those words, yet given their relationship, they created an unnecessary distance.
Tantai Yi fell silent for a moment, then said, “I forbid it. Come as you are.”
Song Pu stopped what he was doing and went out into the outer room instead.
Tantai Yi held back a breath, unable to stop him. By the time Song Pu re-entered through the main door, quite some time had passed.
Seeing him again, Tantai Yi grew annoyed. “You could have come directly, yet you went to such trouble. Do you think I have nothing better to do?”
Song Pu replied seriously, “I only wished to avoid offending Your Majesty. Naturally, I must observe proper decorum.”
This time, he did not even step onto Tantai Yi’s bed.
Tantai Yi would not believe such a change came without reason. He let out a cold laugh, his golden eyes carrying a faint anger that made them glow in the candlelight. “Minister Song grows bold. I have not punished you, yet you dare show me such an attitude first.”
Song Pu lowered his voice. “How would I dare show Your Majesty any attitude? That Your Majesty has not punished me is already the greatest favour. It is only that, upon reflecting on my past conduct, I realise I have indeed been foolish, forgetting the proper rites between ruler and subject, daring to approach Your Majesty’s person so freely, committing such great disrespect so many times. I am truly ashamed. It is only thanks to Your Majesty’s magnanimity that I have not been held accountable. Otherwise, even a hundred deaths would not suffice.”
There was nothing wrong with his words, yet to Tantai Yi they sounded especially harsh.
Holding a dry cloth, Song Pu stepped forward to blot the moisture from Tantai Yi’s long hair, but Tantai Yi raised an arm to block him. “Do you truly think so?”
His tone had already turned cold, his gaze darkening.
Though Song Pu feared death, he was also prone to sudden, inexplicable bursts of courage.
He had never been one to overthink, yet in this world he had been forced to do so. Facing that dog emperor, his feelings had become complicated.
He did not deny that there was a trace of relying on favour. Tantai Yi treated him differently from others, and because of that “dog emperor” sentiment, he believed there was some degree of affection between them. Whether that affection was deeper or shallower than he imagined, he could not tell, but it gave him a certain boldness.
Yet when Tantai Yi’s expression truly turned cold, his instinct to preserve his life rose again, and his tone softened almost strategically.
“…I am foolish. Has Your Majesty taken offence?”
Tantai Yi said coldly, “Why would I be angry with Minister Song?”
