Song Pu did not quite understand what Tantai Yi meant, but he could clearly detect the note of pity in his tone, and his chest tightened slightly. “What does Your Majesty mean by that?”
Tantai Yi smiled faintly. “I truly did not expect Li Zongyi and the others to be inferior to Lord Song.”
Song Pu: “……… ”
Why was everything he said so infuriating? Why?!
Tantai Yi did not stop. A soft chuckle slipped from his throat as he continued, “If they were even smaller than Lord Song, then Li Zongyi and the rest would hardly have the face to be adulterers. It seems I wronged them.”
Then he leaned closer to Song Pu’s ear and added, “In any case, I have never seen it myself, nor would I go and verify it. Naturally, Lord Song may say whatever he pleases.”
Song Pu: “……”
Song Pu laughed in exasperation. “Your Majesty does not know. This sort of thing is not determined by height. There are those half a head shorter than me who are longer than I am.”
He held up his fingers to indicate a length of two centimetres for Tantai Yi to see.
Naturally, Song Pu was thinking of his university roommates. Among men, such comparisons were unavoidable. The one in the bunk below him was only 167 centimetres tall yet measured eighteen, while the athletic student in their dorm, at 185 centimetres, was shorter than him. It was clear that height and that particular matter had little to do with each other.
Tantai Yi had found it amusing at first, but after hearing this, he fell silent. After a while, he asked, “And whose… thing has Lord Song been looking at this time?”
Song Pu replied, “Your Majesty would not know them. I am only speaking of what I know.”
Tantai Yi: “……”
After a moment, he said, “Why must Lord Song constantly compare himself with others? I naturally believe you.”
Only then did he realise that his earlier words might have wounded a man’s pride, prompting Lord Song to repeatedly compare himself with others. It was truly…
He could not find the words. A heaviness settled in his chest, and the earlier amusement vanished completely. “Lord Song is not permitted to look at such things on others again. If I discover it, I shall treat them all as adulterers.”
“……” Song Pu said, “I will not do so again. But does Your Majesty truly believe what I have said?”
“I do,” Tantai Yi replied. “From now on, I will believe you.”
He thought to himself that he must not speak of Lord Song as small again. If it drove him to compare himself with others, it would hardly be worth it.
Only now did he begin to regret the things he had said before.
Tantai Yi knew that his words and conduct had been improper and had wounded Lord Song’s pride as a man. Yet his arrogant temperament stirred again, urging him to admonish him further. For some reason, however, he hesitated, fearing that pressing the point would have the opposite effect. In the end, he softened his tone and adjusted his words before speaking.
“I believe you. Lord Song is not to compare himself with others again. Such things are merely superficial. How can Lord Song be so vain and fond of comparisons? I was only joking, yet you went about comparing everywhere. If word were to spread, would you not become a laughingstock?”
There it was again, that familiar tactic of turning the blame back on him.
Song Pu replied steadily, “Your Majesty may rest assured. I have only compared with a few people. With a single glance, I confirmed once more that Your Majesty not only excels in martial skill and possesses a countenance like a celestial being, but even in that regard far surpasses ordinary men. My only mistake was comparing myself to Your Majesty, and so I was naturally reduced to dust. As a man, I could not help but feel ashamed, as though I were unworthy to exist. Fortunately, having seen a few others, I realised I am not small, and thus felt somewhat reassured. I beg Your Majesty’s pardon. I shall not act so again.”
Those words left Tantai Yi momentarily speechless.
It had never been Song Pu comparing himself to him. It was always Tantai Yi who brought it up first. Only now, thinking back, did he realise how excessive his words had been.
Lord Song was, after all, a man. Being repeatedly called small would anger anyone.
A flicker of guilt rose within him. His golden eyes shifted slightly as he gently squeezed Song Pu’s soft palm. “Lord Song… is indeed not small. I spoke with some exaggeration. You should have more confidence. Though you may not compare to me, there are many in the palace who fall short of you.”
Song Pu: “……”
He almost laughed. Why was he being compared to eunuchs of all people?
“Your Majesty may rest assured. I am already confident. Still, I humbly ask that Your Majesty refrain from comparing yourself to me. I am naturally far inferior. That is an indisputable fact.”
Tantai Yi felt his guilt ease somewhat. “I understand. I shall not speak of Lord Song as small again.”
Not only for the sake of Lord Song’s pride, but also to prevent him from looking at others, he could not continue as before.
Song Pu promptly steered the conversation back to state affairs. “My father mentioned that Your Majesty has imprisoned the Vice Minister of War. May I ask why?”
Tantai Yi narrowed his eyes. “Does Lord Song know that bandits have been running rampant in the Xiangwang Mountain region?”
Song Pu thought for a moment before recalling it. Xiangwang Mountain was not far from Yanjing, about two days by carriage, practically within the imperial domain. “This subject was not aware. But how could there be bandits there?”
Even if he was not well versed in governance, he was not ignorant. Xiangwang Mountain lay at a strategic north–south boundary of Liang and held military importance. The presence of bandits there was highly unusual.
Tantai Yi paused, resting his chin on Song Pu’s shoulder. His warm breath brushed against him at close range, making Song Pu uncomfortable, though he did not dare move.
“The bandits began expanding a month ago,” Tantai Yi said coolly. “They now number over three thousand. That is already the size of an army.”
Song Pu had always known that Tantai Yi was a complicated man. Even now, he could not tell whether he truly wished to govern well or simply let things run their course.
He did not dare ask. “How does Your Majesty intend to deal with them?”
“The garrison watched their numbers grow and did nothing,” Tantai Yi replied. “Under the Vice Minister’s jurisdiction, he even dared to underreport, claiming there were only a few hundred. Does he take me for a fool? I have ordered the Court of Judicial Review to investigate. There were no such troubles under the late emperor. Now that I have taken charge, they cause trouble for me every day. Absurd.”
Song Pu held his tongue, though inwardly he thought, isn’t that because you did not manage things?
He asked tactfully, “And how does Your Majesty intend to deal with the bandits?”
“Suppress them, naturally. The Xiangwang Mountain garrison will be broken up and reassigned to the Princes of Huainan and Yong’an. I have already entrusted the matter to Lord Ye. I shall not concern myself further.”
Being emperor truly was effortless. There were always people to do the work.
Song Pu rose from Tantai Yi’s lap and, before he could ask anything, said of his own accord, “Your Majesty must be weary from handling state affairs. Allow this subject to massage Your Majesty’s shoulders.”
At once, Tantai Yi’s furrowed brow relaxed. He leaned back comfortably against the dragon throne and accepted the service.
After only a short while, he could not help saying, “I thought Lord Song was only glib of tongue. I did not expect these hands of yours to be so capable.”
Song Pu replied earnestly, “This subject is most willing to serve the state. My status is low and I cannot assist Your Majesty in governance, but if Your Majesty must labour like this every day, this subject can at least relieve some of Your Majesty’s fatigue.”
Those words truly soothed Tantai Yi’s heart. He could also sense that Song Pu seemed more attentive than before. Narrowing his eyes, he said lazily, “I had not known Lord Song also possessed a heart for the state.”
Song Pu spoke fervently, “As a subject of Liang, I naturally hope for the nation to grow ever stronger. Before, I only worried for Your Majesty and feared Your Majesty might overwork yourself. Having attended court for two years, what harm is there in resting for a while? Yet a nation cannot be without its ruler. Your Majesty’s return to governance is a great blessing to the court, to Liang, and to all under Heaven. Though it burdens Your Majesty greatly, if this subject can share even a portion of that burden, this subject will not hesitate.”
He still held onto a trace of hope. If Tantai Yi could truly change, he would no longer need to live in constant unease.
Tantai Yi had merely found idleness dull and thought it no harm to occupy himself, but hearing these words, he suddenly felt he had sacrificed greatly for the state.
“Do you know how much there is to deal with?” he complained. “Those old men never stop talking. And some are utterly foolish. Just looking at them vexes me. Attending court every day is simply… I could drag them all out and have them executed!”
“Your Majesty has worked hard. Fortunately, Your Majesty has persevered. You are already close to matching the late emperor. With a little more effort, this subject… this subject may yet become Your Majesty’s empress,” Song Pu murmured by his ear.
Tantai Yi suddenly coughed lightly and asked in a low voice, “Has Lord Song used the jade inserts I gave you?”
Song Pu: “……”
Lowering his voice as well, he replied, “This subject has tried, but it would not go in…”
A complete lie.
Tantai Yi’s face warmed. Persisting stubbornly, he said, “You cannot even manage the smallest one? Truly useless.”
The topic was mortifying. Song Pu flushed as well, but still spoke boldly, “I applied it, but it truly will not work. If Your Majesty has any consideration, could you refrain from urging this subject? This subject truly fears the pain.”
Tantai Yi paused before saying, “With such delicate skin, when will Lord Song be able to attend upon me?”
“This subject is already attending upon Your Majesty,” Song Pu replied. “Why must such matters be rushed?”
Tantai Yi disliked the word “rushed”. It made him seem impatient.
“When have I ever urged you?” he retorted. “This concerns whether you may become my empress. You must not be perfunctory. You are to try every day. Do you understand?”
Song Pu readily agreed.
In any case, he had no intention of trying. Even if Tantai Yi came to supervise him, he would deal with it as it came.
There was absolutely no way he was going to use those things.
