A multitude of thoughts flashed through Song Pu’s mind, all arriving at the same conclusion: everyone else was getting a paid reprieve, but not him. He had to face Tantai Yi alone. Alone!
At Tantai Yi’s words, Chang Jiangming and Xie Nuoyu both agreed readily. However, seeing that Song Pu had not been mentioned, Xie Nuoyu could not help asking.
If earlier Tantai Yi had merely forced the label of “adulterers” onto them, now, looking at them again, he felt a kind of instinctive hostility he did not even fully understand. He grew more impatient with them, even faintly repulsed, and said coolly, “Lord Song is naturally different from the likes of you. He is to remain constantly at my side.”
Hearing this, Song Pu felt he could perform a full three-hundred-and-sixty-degree spin on the spot while crying.
Then he remembered Tantai Yi’s talk of making him empress. Although Song Pu felt it was unrealistic, if such a day were ever to come, it would instead become a very troublesome matter.
That would mean he would have to attend to Tantai Yi all year round, without a single day’s rest.
At the mere thought of it, Song Pu felt his scalp tingle.
Chang Jiangming and Xie Nuoyu clearly wanted no part in such imperial favour. Hearing those words, not only were they not resentful, they even cast Song Pu apologetic looks. They were about to escape the emperor’s side first!
Receiving such a signal, Song Pu gave a bitter smile and said nothing.
This time, as he followed Tantai Yi to Chunhe Palace, he was no longer as composed as before.
The moment Tantai Yi sat down upon the dragon throne, he smiled and asked, “Well, Lord Song, how was your observation? Have you learnt anything?”
Whenever there was no one else around, this was always the question he asked.
Song Pu choked for a moment. The vivid images resurfaced in his mind, and a flush immediately rose to his cheeks. Not daring to look at Tantai Yi, he lowered his voice and said, “The contents of the illustrated volume are truly vast and profound. Even if I study them, I have only grasped a superficial understanding. I would rather not make a fool of myself before Your Majesty.”
Tantai Yi’s smile faded slightly. “How can you be so dull? The founding emperor and his male consort demonstrated it personally, and you still have not learnt.”
For him to speak of such indecent matters so casually… did he not feel the slightest embarrassment?
Song Pu truly had nothing to say, and could only repeat, “It is indeed my dullness. However, I have heard my father praise Your Majesty, saying that when you attend court, you possess even more of the bearing of a wise ruler than before. I am glad on Your Majesty’s behalf. If Your Majesty does not mind, I can still attend to you with my hands.”
Tantai Yi was already dissatisfied with those hands. He said coolly, “Do I look like a fool? Does Lord Song take me for someone so easily fobbed off?”
Song Pu: “……”
“…Then what does Your Majesty wish?”
Tantai Yi stalled for a moment, recalling the first twenty-odd pages of the illustrated book. Heat stirred through his body, but as the emperor, it was hardly appropriate for him to voice such requests outright. Fixing his gaze on Song Pu, he said in a proud and restrained tone, “Since Lord Song has the intention, you must also have the sincerity. It is not a matter of what I wish, but what Lord Song is capable of.”
Song Pu very much disliked this manner of waiting for him to take the initiative to serve. It always felt infuriating. By rights, such matters should involve give and take, yet this had turned into a one-sided affair.
Setting aside the question of orientation, even something like this ought not to be one-sided. Both parties should feel comfortable, both should be satisfied, for it to count as a good experience. Yet not once had Tantai Yi ever done anything for him.
A trace of grievance and dissatisfaction stirred in Song Pu’s heart. With his courage bolstered, his voice instead softened. “Your Majesty has shown me such favour that it has emboldened me. I cannot help but grow presumptuous. Would Your Majesty come to dislike me for it?”
The words were unbearably affected. Even Song Pu felt a layer of goosebumps rise, yet he maintained a hopeful expression, gazing at Tantai Yi with eager eyes.
At that look from those beautiful dark eyes, before Tantai Yi could even speak, his heart softened somewhat, though he still held himself aloof. “I regard Lord Song as a confidant. In future, you will become my empress, and we will be husband and wife. A little more wilfulness is of no consequence.”
Song Pu continued to look at him eagerly, adopting a shy manner as he said softly, “Then I have an impertinent request. I fear that if I speak it, it may anger Your Majesty, yet I do not know whether I ought to say it.”
Tantai Yi’s golden eyes narrowed slightly. “What does Lord Song wish to say?”
Song Pu pointed at himself, a hint of bashfulness and anticipation showing on his face, his eyes bright as though filled with stars. “Might Your Majesty condescend… to relieve me once as well? That way, I would have the energy to better attend to Your Majesty.”
Tantai Yi immediately understood, and his expression turned imposing with restrained anger. “Lord Song is most audacious, to ask me to do such a thing!”
Song Pu: “……”
His gaze dimmed. Turning his head aside, he said, “As expected, it was merely my own wishful thinking. Let us pretend I never spoke of it. I ask Your Majesty’s forgiveness.”
He truly looked dejected, not only in his eyes, but even his complexion seemed to dull.
Tantai Yi: “……”
He raised his hand and lightly tapped the edge of the table, his tone softening. “It is not that I am unwilling. Lord Song is delicate. I fear you…”
Before he could finish speaking, his fingers tightened slightly, and the corner of the table crumbled like tofu beneath his grip.
Song Pu: “……”
That must have hurt.
That title of the chapter made me nervous.,