Title: Infinite Power Over The World
Original title: 权倾天下[重生]
Author: 叶默凉(Ye Moliang)
Translated by: ~PurpleLy~
Having obtained Shen Ci’s consent, Murong Heng hastened to deal with some of the court affairs first and entrusted the rest of the marginal cases to the few veterans. Then, at dawn one day, he brought Shen Ci to climb into the carriage that had been prepared and drove out of the palace.
Since both of them were leaving the palace to go sight-seeing, the chosen carriage was the kind that appeared plain on the outside and wouldn’t attract any attention. However, its interior was very spacious, with soft cushions filling the entire carriage. They could also accommodate a decent desk, a small bookcase, and several trays of exquisite snacks. On the outside, two guards were disguised as male servants and driving the carriage. Not far away, more than a dozen undercover guards were secretly protecting them, so it was extremely safe.
As the two travelled south all the way, Shen Ci sat in the carriage, observing the unfamiliar scenery around him. He was in good spirits. Murong Heng, who was sitting beside him, held his hand, rubbing his calloused fingertips on the inside of Shen Ci’s palm. He turned his head to look at him, and the two smiled at each other.
After a few days, the carriage slowly drove to an area of Jiangnan. Shen Ci’s eyes widened curiously, fearing he would miss out as he gazed at the scenery, which was completely unlike the capital’s.
When they alighted the carriage, Murong Heng noticed that there were crowds in front of him. He subconsciously held Shen Ci’s hand tightly, afraid both of them would get separated once there were too many people. He led Shen Ci and walked ahead together. They came upon a huge lake where the edges couldn’t be discerned at a glance.
“What are those?” Shen Ci suddenly saw many huge boats floating on the shore of the lake. Every now and then, people boarded the boats. It looked very lively and made him very intrigued.
Murong Heng followed in the direction he was pointing and looked over. He couldn’t help smiling slightly, and he said, “That’s a pleasure boat.”
“Pleasure boat?” Shen Ci was puzzled.
“Presumably you’re not a southerner, right, sir?” Just as Murong Heng was about to explain, a commoner passing by replied with a smile, “It’s very lively inside the boat, and there’s everything you need: food, drink, and performances. It would be a real shame since you’ve come to the south and didn’t go to see the pleasure boats.”
After speaking, that person turned and left, but he’d effectively fired up Shen Ci’s curiosity. Shen Ci took Murong Heng’s hand and made their way towards the pleasure boat. When he arrived just outside the boat, there was a large wooden plank that lay between it and the shore. Shen Ci excitedly set foot on it, walked past a curtain, and made his way onto the boat.
The inside is indeed very lively, just as that person said. The first floor was for opera singing, and the actor’s melodious voice could be heard before he even approached. The second floor was for eating and drinking, and the third floor was for guests who had drunk too much to stay overnight.
Murong Heng pulled Shen Ci over to sit down in two empty seats. The staff on the boat quickly came over to entertain the two of them. Murong Heng ordered two cups of green tea and a plate of osmanthus cake. Then he and Shen Ci focused on watching the actor perform in the opera.
After the act was over and the snacks had mostly been consumed, Murong Heng decided to bring Shen Ci up to the second floor and settle their lunch there.
It must be said that the food in Jiangnan was much more exquisite than in the capital. The beggar chicken dish alone made Shen Ci stuff himself. It was so delicious that he almost swallowed his tongue.
Murong Heng let out a laugh when he saw Shen Ci, who was always an elegant eater, now eating like a little cat. He took a clean handkerchief to wipe off the oil stains around his mouth and watched him ardently as he finished all the food in front of him.
Once lunch was over, the two got off the boat to stroll by the lake while digesting. Upon reaching a pier, Shen Ci caught sight of a passenger boat where guests could enjoy the scenery along the coast. His fascination piqued again, and he dragged Murong Heng to walk over.
In order to prevent others from disturbing them, Murong Heng simply chartered the entire boat and asked the boatman to ferry only the two of them. The decorations on the boat were magnificent, and there was a cabin in the centre, which was similar to an inn, where people could rest. The windows in the cabin were facing both sides of the lake, providing a panoramic view of the scenery.
The boatman started sailing the boat. Murong Heng and Shen Ci stood on the outside deck of the boat. A gentle breeze blew across their cheeks and ruffled their hair. Shen Ci closed his eyes and breathed in the fresh air on the lake. He felt that his heart had been substantially purified.
But before he could enjoy it a bit more, the boat began to gradually increase speed. Shen Ci felt a slight change in his body. A stuffy feeling developed in his chest and grew worse. He hurriedly said to Murong Heng beside him, “Murong Heng, I’m a little cold.”
Murong Heng immediately went to fetch his clothes after hearing this. Shen Ci watched his back disappear and couldn’t bear it any longer. He held onto the side of the boat and bent over. With a light cough, all the food he’d eaten at noon was vomited out.
This was exactly the scene that Murong Heng beheld upon coming back from taking his clothes. He hurried over to pat Shen Ci on the back and asked anxiously, “What happened?” As he asked, he pulled him up and went back to the cabin before calling over the boat staff.
Shen Ci didn’t say anything. He closed his eyes; his forehead was sweating. He’d just expelled all the food that remained in his body. If he vomited anymore, it would only be stomach acid. Shen Ci lay on the bed and leaned back against Murong Heng’s body. He sensed a weight in the pit of his stomach that didn’t diminish.
The staff rushed over when he heard the news. Upon noticing Shen Ci’s symptoms, he said, “Don’t worry, sir. It’s seasickness.” After that, he hastened to fetch the seasickness medicine and handed it to Murong Heng.
“Thank you.” Murong Heng fed a small pill into Shen Ci’s mouth and watched him worriedly. He asked the staff to quickly notify the boatman to steer the boat back towards the shore.
After taking the seasickness medicine, Shen Ci discovered that the stuffiness in his chest and nausea slowly dissipated. However, his body was still weak, and even his footsteps were languid. He was half-supported and half-carried off the boat. He gave a wry smile and looked back at the huge boat with an expression of regret: “I’ve lived for so many years without knowing that I’m prone to seasickness. What a pity. I’ve caused you, Murong, to be unable to enjoy the scenery.”
“Nonsense.” Murong Heng eyed him. He would naturally put his well-being first. They could view the scenery at any time. A quarter of an hour later, Shen Ci’s body had returned to normal, and his hands and feet had regained their strength.
Viewing the scenery on the pleasure boat had backfired, Shen Ci thought a little gloomily to himself. All of a sudden, he remembered another beautiful place in Jiangnan, so he excitedly dragged Murong Heng to go.
“Qifeng Valley?” Murong Heng raised his eyebrows. He’d also heard of this place before. He wanted to go there in his last life, but he’d been killed by his brothers before he had a chance to go. Since Ah Ci wanted to go, he would naturally accompany him.
Consequently, Murong Heng went to a stable to hire a good horse and let Shen Ci sit in front of him. With a light shout, he spurred the horse towards Qifeng Valley. A gentle breeze blew across their cheeks as they sat atop the horse. Murong Heng could distinctly make out the faint fragrance of spring water from Shen Ci’s hair in front of him, which made him tighten his embrace and hold the person in his arms even closer.
The horse galloped all the way forward and soon arrived at Qifeng Valley, which was deep in the suburbs. Qifeng Valley was surrounded by mountains. In the middle of two mountains was a deep spring with waterfalls flowing straight down. The beauty of the scenery was more than one could take in.
Upon reaching their destination, Murong Heng carried Shen Ci off the horse and strolled on the grass, holding his hand. There were only the two of them in the vast valley. Two imperial guards and two undercover guards were in place outside the valley and didn’t intrude. He admired the surrounding beauty as he held Shen Ci’s hand.
He was finally able to see the place that he’d been yearning for in his previous life. Murong Heng didn’t know what kind of feeling it was at this moment. Perhaps it was the inner peace after having achieved revenge. He could hold the hand of his beloved and wander in the valley with peace of mind, without worrying that someone would harm them.
When they arrived near the waterfall, the two of them obviously felt the ice-cold water splashing on their bodies and faces. Shen Ci’s inner mischievousness was stirred. He squatted down, dipped his hands in the water, then got up and flung at Murong Heng’s direction. The cold water splashed all over Murong Heng’s face.
Murong Heng was naturally not to be outdone and followed his example, flinging the water from his hands at Shen Ci’s face. The two played like children. Their hearts and gazes were filled with each other.
After a while, they both stopped at the same time. Murong Heng stared at the water drops on Shen Ci’s face. He reached out to caress his face and wipe off the drops of water. Shen Ci regarded Murong Heng without blinking. Murong Heng met his clear stare and suddenly felt like a fire was ablaze in his throat, roasting his vocal chords dry.
When he regained his senses, he’d already tossed Shen Ci down, pressing him under himself. Murong Heng secretly swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Both his hands were propped up on either side of the person beneath him. He looked at Shen Ci from head to toe before suddenly lowering his head and seizing his lips with such force that it seemed he wanted to swallow him whole!
After a long time, Murong Heng slowly left his lips. The voice in his throat was so hoarse. He lowered his head to rub Shen Ci’s cheek with his forehead and said, “Ah Ci, can you give yourself to me?” He’d endured it for too long. This time, he doesn’t want to endure it anymore.
Shen Ci lifted his head to look at him. He could feel a change somewhere in the other person’s body that was pressing on him. As a man, he obviously knew what it was, and the expression in his eyes changed. He recalled all the times when the both of them were together and everything that Murong Heng had done for him. Finally, he let out a sigh and gave a slight nod.
Shen Ci loves Murong Heng, so he is willing to give him everything, even his body.
Having acquired Shen Ci’s consent, Murong Heng couldn’t bear it anymore. He stretched out his hand to caress Shen Ci’s long hair and said softly, “Ah Ci, please rest assured and leave it to me.” As soon as he finished speaking, he was like a ravenous wolf, holding him down.
****
Before they knew it, it was already late at night. Murong Heng cleaned off Shen Ci’s body with spring water. The person in his arms had already fallen asleep from exhaustion. He helped him put on his clothes, carried him up to the horse, and rushed back with him to an inn. Murong Heng let Shen Ci sit sideways on the horse and lean on his chest. When they arrived at the inn, which he’d completely leased, he carried Shen Ci into the room and placed him lightly on the bed.
Shen Ci frowned subconsciously. Murong Heng removed both their clothes, leaving only an inner garment. Then he jumped onto the bed and pulled Shen Ci into his arms before placing his right hand on his waist. He applied moderate pressure to help relieve the soreness in his lower back.
As he stared at Shen Ci’s peaceful sleeping expression as he lay in his arms and mottled marks that were still on his neck, Murong Heng couldn’t help lowering his head and kissing his slightly swollen lips softly again, then grazed his forehead affectionately with a gentle smile on his lips.
At long last, body and mind, his beloved Ah Ci completely belongs to him!